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♦ LI BRARY OF CONGRES S, # 

t # 

{UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.} 



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OUR PASSOVER, 



OR 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 



BY THE 

Rev. WILLIAM J. McCORD, 

WASSAIC, N. Y. 



II 






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PHILADELPHIA: 
PKESBYTEKIAN BOAKD OE PUBLICATION, 

No. 821 Chestnut Street. 



-v/4^ 

^ ^ 



Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by 

THE TRUSTEES OP THE 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 

In the Clerks Office of the District Court for the Eastern District 

of Pennsylvania. 

STEREOTYPED BY WESTCOTT & THOMSON. 



PREFACE. 



All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is 
profitable. It is wise to gather instruction from the Old 
Testament as well as the New. These things were written 
for our instruction and admonition. In this volume infor- 
mation is drawn from various sources ; and so it is proper 
to make this general acknowledgement of indebtedness to 
others. The plan and the execution are my own, and for 
these I alone am responsible, while free use is made of the 
thoughts and the language of others, in the hope that 
thus gathered and presented, the work may be profitable 
and useful. May the instruction here given be blessed to 
all who read ! 

W. J. M. 

Wassaic, N. Y., Feb* 22, 1865. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

X Christ our Passover 7 

The passover — Leaven — The sacrifice of Christ — The lamb 
chosen — The lamb without blemish — The lamb slain — Blood 
upon the door-posts — The flesh wasted — The flesh eaten — 
Wholly eaten or burned — All eat at the same time — Eaten in 
haste — All concerned — Not a bone broken — The feast to be 
kept — A life-long festival — The Lord's supper — How to keep 
the feast — What is needed — Old leaven — Leaven of malice 
and wickedness — Unleavened bread — Useful lessons — 
Hymn 7-41 

II. The GreAt Things of the Law 42 

Great things accounted strange — Great things of the law — The 
moral law — The rule and the reason- — Redemption necessary — 
Christ died — Why any perish — Why any are saved — God's 
pleasure — The law preached — The ceremonial . law — Sacred 
persons — Sacred places — Sacred things — Sacrifices — Types 
and shadows — Great things significant — Written to us — 
Hymns..... 42-70 

III. Forgiveness with God 71 

Explanation — -Who can stand — What is here taught — The first 
lesson — What the Scriptures teach — What men confess — 



6 CON-TENTS. 

PAGE 

Reason — The second lesson — The Bible — Confessions — The 
third lesson — Forgiveness with God — The way of forgiveness 
— What Christ has done — How God forgives — Invitations and 
entreaties — 'The fourth lesson — God revealed — Reverential 
fear — Filial fear — Fear of wrath — Fear a motive — Fear of 
delay — Fear and obedience — Fear our whole duty — Adora- 
tion — Fear and tremble— Universalism — Seek forgiveness — 
Hymns 71-101 

IV. Why Halt Ye? 102 

The question — Indecision unreasonable — Decision not difficult 
— Sufficient evidence — Sufficient inducements — God requires 
us to decide — Never easier to decide — Loss of time — Sacrifice 
of enjoyment — Sacrifice of usefulness — The interests at stake 
— It occasions delay — Abuse of privileges — Health may fail — ■ 
Life may end — The Spirit may depart — Hardening influence — 
Ruinous influence — The consequences — Unreasonable and 
dangerous — Decision wise and important — How long 102-120 



4 



OUR PASSOYER. 



CMMIST OUM PASSOVER. 

For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. — 1 Cor. v. 7. 

T7ie Passover, 

Abraham was called of God to leave the land of 
his fathers and' go into a strange country. He 
obeyed the call, and went out, not knowing whither 
he went. — Heb. xi. 8. God brought him into the 
land of Canaan, promised that land to him and to 
his children, and declared that in his seed all the 
nations of the earth should be blessed. — Gen. xxii. 18. 

These promises looked far into the future. There 
must be patient waiting for their fulfilment. To 
Abraham it was foretold that his children should 
dwell in a strange land, and be oppressed and 
afflicted four hundred years ; that then- God would 
appear in their behalf, judge the nation that afflicted 
them, set them at liberty, and bring them into the 
land of promise. — Gen. xv. 13-16. Acts vii. 6, 7. 

For long years they groaned under Egyptian 
bondage, and their cry reached unto heaven. As 
the time of their deliverance drew near, Moses was 

7 



8 OUR PASSOVER. 

raised up, plagues were inflicted upon the Egyptians, 
and thus were they made willing to let Israel go. 
The last and greatest plague was the death of all 
the first-born of the Egyptians, so there was not a 
house where there was not one dead, and doubtless 
in many houses more than one. Sad and dreadful 
night ! It is a night to be much observed unto the 
Lord for bringing Israel out from the land of Egypt : 
this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all 
the children of Israel in their generations. — Ex. xii. 
29, 30, 42. 

In anticipation of that night and in preparation 
for it, the Israelites were directed to kill a lamb for 
each family and put the blood upon the door-posts ; 
and the destroying angel, as he passed through the 
land, should pass over the houses where the blood 
was found. The feast thus instituted, and annually 
thereafter to be observed in commemoration of this 
event, was called the passover. The lamb slain on 
this occasion was a type of our blessed Saviour, who 
is hence called the Lamb of God — the Lamb slain 
from the foundation of the world ; and hence, too, 
Paul writes to the Corinthians, Know ye not that a 
little leaven leaveneth the whole lump ? Purge out, 
therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, 
as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover 
is sacrificed for us : therefore let us keep the feast, 
not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice 
and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of 
sincerity and truth. — 1 Cor. v. 6-8. 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 9 

V 

/ 

Zieaven. 

Leaven is diffusive. It spreads. A little leaven 
leaveneth the whole lump. So a little sin corrupts 
the whole mass. " It is the nature of evil to diffuse 
itself. This is true with regard to individuals and 
communities. A single sin, however secret, when 
indulged, diffuses its corrupting influence over the 
whole soul.' "As the Jews therefore used to search 
with candles in every corner of their houses, that 
they might cast out all the leaven, before they made 
the unleavened bread for the passover ;' so we ought 
to purge every impurity from our hearts ; and so 
churches should cast out every scandalous and dis- 
orderly member. Purge out the old leaven, be a 
new lump, unleavened. "A Christian is a new or 
holy man." 

The allusion is to the Jewish passover and the 
customs connected with it. As they purified their 
houses, casting out all the leaven- and whatever was 
leavened, so we should purify our hearts and lives, 
and our churches. Thus the Corinthians were to 
purify themselves, and to purify their churches by 
casting out or putting away from among themselves 
that wicked person. — 1 Cor. v. 13. "Lewdness is 
the old leaven to be purged out ; because the Co- 
rinthians were infamous for it to a proverb.' All 
sin is leaven ; and all sin is to be put away. As he 
who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all 
manner of conversation ; because it is written, Be 
ye holy ; for I am holy. — 1 Peter i. 15, 16. 



10 OUR PASSOVER. 



The Sacrifice of Christ, 

The motive for compliance, and the reason, is 
the sacrifice of Christ for our sins : for even Christ 
our passover is sacrificed for us. As he died for 
sin, we should die to sin. Hoping in him, we should 
purify ourselves as he is pure. Christ is called our 
passover. The passover sacrifice was a type of 
Christ's atonement. In allusion to the paschal 
lamb, Christ is called the Lamb slain — the Lamb of 
God which taketh away the sin of the world. He 
is our passover or paschal lamb. He has been 
slain or sacrificed for us ; and now we must keep 
the feast of a perpetual passover in his service. We 
must not live in sin, but be holy and live to him. 
We must not only, in every suitable way, commem- 
orate his sufferings and death, but we must show 
them forth in our lives. "As Christ died to redeem 
us from all iniquity, it is not only contrary to the 
design of his death, but a proof that we are not in- 
terested in its benefits, if we live in sin. * * * * 
As a feast lasting seven days was connected with 
the slaying of the paschal lamb, -so a life of conse- 
cration to God should be connected with the death 
of our passover— Christ.' Therefore let us keep 
the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven 
of malice and wickedness ; but with the unleavened 
bread of sincerity and truth. — 1 Cor. v. 8. 

In illustrating the sacrificial offering or atonement 
of Christ, let us take a hasty view of the divinely 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 11 

instituted ceremonies of the Jewish passover ? avail- 
ing ourselves of what others have said and written, 
so far as it may serve our purpose. This will 
enable us to comprehend the force and beauty of 
the words, For even Christ our passover (or paschal 
lamb) is sacrificed (or slain) for us, or in our stead. 
The passover was instituted on the departure of the 
Israelites from Egypt. It was to be observed as a 
yearly festival. The law in regard to it is found in 
the twelfth chapter of Exodus, and to that we will 
look. Turn, then, to Ex. xii. 1-39, and notice the 
following particulars : — 

Tlie Xiamh Chosen, 

The lamb must be chosen beforehand. Though 
not to be killed until the 14th day of the month, it 
must be selected on the 10th. This month shall be 
unto you the beginning of months. In the 10th 
day of this month, they shall take to them every 
man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, 
a lamb for a house. And ye shall keep it up until 
the 14th day of the same month. Ex. xii. 2-6. 
Thus the lamb was chosen and ready. So Jesus 
Christ was fore-appointed by the Father for the 
work which he was to accomplish for us. Behold 
my servant, whom I uphold ; mine elect, in whom 
my soul delighteth. Isa. xlii. 1. Hence he was 
promised and foretold ; and hence he said, I came 
down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the 
will of him that sent me. John vi. 38. When the 



12 OUR PASSOVER. 

fulness of the time was conie, God sent forth his Son, 
made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem 
them that were under the law, that we might receive 
the adoption of sons. — Gal. iv. 4, 5. He was deliv- 
ered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge 
of God, and by wicked hands crucified and slain.— 
Acts ii. 23. He said, The Son of man goeth as it 
is written of him. — Matt. xxvi. 24. There was no 
uncertainty about the plan which Jesus Christ un- 
dertook to execute ; none about its results. As the 
victim was fore-appointed, so were the benefits to 
result from his sacrificial death. In him we have 
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, 
according to the riches of his grace. — Eph. i. 3-12. 
He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of 
the world, that we should be holy and without blame 
before him in love : having predestinated us unto 
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, 
according to the good pleasure of his will, to the 
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath 
made us accepted in the beloved. As Christ is the 
chosen victim, so his people are the chosen seed- 
chosen to be holy and without blame. — Eph. i. 4-6. 

The Lamb without Blemish* 

This was the law. Your lamb shall be without 
blemish. — Ex. xii. 5. This was "to signify that 
though our sins were imputed to Christ, yet he was 
in himself holy, harmless, undefiled, and therefore 
called a lamb without blemish and without spot. — 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 13 

Heb. vii. 26 : 1 Pet. i. 19. He did no sin, neither 
was guile found in his mouth. He was free from 
original and from actual sin, perfectly pure and 
holy. Having no sin of his own, he was prepared 
to render an acceptable sacrifice for the sins of men. 
No fault could be justly alleged against him ; 
nothing worthy of death could be found in him. He 
was a lamb as to innocence and harmlessness, a 
lamb selected, appointed, and approved by the 
Father, the true anti-type of the passover, without 
blemish. As he was thus a fit victim, so was he 
also a fit priest. For such an high priest became us, 
who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sin- 
ners, and made higher than the heavens ; who needeth 
not daily, as those high priests under the law, to 
offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for 
the people's : for this he did once, when he offered up 
himself, a spotless victim. — Heb. vii. 26, 27. 

He obeyed the law perfectly, for us and in our 
stead, yet not so as to deliver us from obligation to 
obey it as the rule of our life. Having thus obeyed 
it, he was qualified to endure its penalty, not for 
himself, but for his people ; so that, when they em- 
brace him by faith, they are delivered from the curse 
of the law. As ha was righteous and knew no sin, 
and yet was made sin for us or a sin-offering — was 
treated as a sinner because our sins were laid on 
him ; — so we, on the exercise of faith in him, are . 
made the righteousness of God in him — are re- 
garded and treated as righteous. Our sins were 

2 



14 OUR PASSOVER. 

imputed to him ; his righteousness is imputed to us : 
thus by imputation he was made sin ; and we are 
made the righteousness of Grod — accepted as right- 
eous on the ground of Christ's righteousness. Free 
from sin himself, he bore our sins in his own body 
on the tree ; he was made a curse for us ; and hence 
he is the end of the law for righteousness to every 
one that believeth. By his obedience he merited 
heaven for us, as by his death he atoned for our 
sins and delivered us from the curse. Jesus delivers 
from the wrath to come. — 1 Thess. i. 10. 

The Lamb Slain* 

The lamb was to be slain. And the whole assem- 
bly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the 
evening. — Exod. xii. 6. It was to be killed by 
shedding its blood. This was " to denote that the 
death of Christ was necessary, for satisfying justice, 
and reconciling us to God. Ought not Christ to have 
suffered these things ? ' ' — Luke xxiv. 26. "It was not 
enough that the paschal lamb should be selected, it 
must also be slain. It was not enough that Jesus 
Christ should come into the world, take upon him 
our nature, live a life of poverty and self-denial, set 
before men a perfect example, magnify the law and 
make it honourable; all this was not enough. He 
must also endure the penalty of the law. An atone- 
ment is necessary. He must die upon the cross. 
Without the shedding of blood there is no remission. 
Without the death of Christ there is no salvation 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 15 

and no hope. Jesus Christ came to die ; he came 
to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. He laid 
down his life that he might take it again. He was 
delivered up to death for our offences, and. he rose 
again for our justification. In the death of Christ 
we have the substance of what the Jews saw in 
shadow when they killed the passover. Through it 
they looked forward to that to which we now look 
back through the gospel and its ordinances, viz. : 
the atonement of Christ by his death upon the 
cross. He was wounded for our transgressions, he 
was bruised for our iniquities : the chastisement of 
our peace was upon him ; and with his stripes we 
are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray ; 
we have turned every one to his own way ; and the 
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. — Isa. 
liii. 5, 6. Christ died for the ungodly. Our sins 
nailed him to the accursed tree. While we were yet 
sinners, Christ died for us. — Rom. v. 6-9. Herein 
is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, 
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 
We love him, because he first loved us.— 1 John iv. 
10, 19. 

Blood upon the Door-posts, 

The blood of the lamb was not only to be shed, 
but it was also to be put upon the posts of the doors. 
And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on 
the two side-posts and on the upper door-post of the 
houses, wherein they shall eat it. — Exod. xii. 7. 
This was a signal to the destroying angel to pass 



16 OUR PASSOVER. 

over these houses ; and the blood thus placed upon 
the doors pointed to the meritorious blood of Christ. 
u It signified that it is only in virtue of the blood or 
satisfaction of Christ, that the curse and sentence 
of the law, (which is the wrath of God,) is not exe- 
cuted upon the sinner. Being justified by his blood, 
we shall be saved from wrath through him." — Rom. 
v. 9. 

Subsequent passovers differed somewhat from the 
first in some circumstances. But essentially they 
were the same, and they were regulated by the law of 
Moses. At all times " the passover was a sacrifice.' 
It possessed "all the essential characteristics' of a 
sacrifice. Says Magee, " It was a corban, or offer- 
ing, brought to the tabernacle, or temple : thus in 
Deut. xvi. 2, 5, 6, Thou shalt sacrifice the passover 
unto the Lord thy God, in the place which the Lord 
shall choose — not within any of the gates — but at 
the place which the Lord thy God shall choose. So 
in 2 Chron. xxxv. 12. The paschal lamb was slain 
in the temple ; its blood was poured out, sprinkled, 
and offered at the altar by the priests, in like man- 
ner as the blood of the victims usually slain in sac- 
rifice, as appears from Exod. xxiii. 18, Thou shalt 
not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened 
bread : the blood, then, was to be offered. So Exod. 
xxxiv. 25. In 2 Chron. xxx. 15, 16, it is said, Then 
they killed the passover — the priests sprinkled the 
blood ; and so in 2 Chron. xxxv. 11. And in this 
sprinkling of the blood, as we are told by the Jewish 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 17 

doctors, consisted the very essence of a sacrifice. 
The fat and entrails were burnt upon the altar, as 
may be collected from the passages above referred 
to, as also from the declaration of the Jewish doc- 
tors, the descriptions of the paschal sacrifice in the 
Mishnah of the Talmud, and the testimony of the 
Karaites, who are known to reject all the Talmud- 
ical^ traditions, not founded on Scripture.' In the 
first passover, the blood was put upon the door-posts, 
Exod. xii. 7 ; after that it was sprinkled upon the 
altar or poured out before it. " The blood and fat, 
as in the case of other sacrifices, were appropriated 
to the altar. — Deut. xvi. 1-7. * * * * The 
blood was handed to the priests, to be sprinkled on 
the altar and poured out at its bottom, and the com- 
mon portions of fat to be burned upon its tops." 
It was a solemn sacrifice. — Exod. xxxiv. 25. 2 
Chron. xxx. 15, 16, and xxxv. 6, 11, 12, 13. 

I think the above extract from Magee, on the 
atonement, substantiates the position that "the pass- 
over was a sacrifice.' I think, moreover, that it 
cannot be disproved, and it ought not to be doubted, 
that it was not only a commemorative, but a typical 
sacrifice. All the sacrifices of the law were typical ; 
this was especially so. It commemorated the deliv- 
erance of Israel from Egypt by the destruction of 
the first-born of every family; and it typified the 
atonement of Jesus Christ and the deliverance of 
sinners from the thraldom of sin in virtue of that 
atonement. And if the passover was a sacrifice, 

2 * 



18 OUR PASSOVER. 

and at the same time a type of Jesus Christ and his 
atonement, then Jesus Christ was a sacrifice, and 
his death was a sacrifice for sin, a satisfaction, an 
atonement, a propitiation. For even Christ our 
passover is sacrificed for us. The death of Christ, 
then, is more than the death of a martyr ; his death 
is more than an example ; it is more than the death 
of a mere man, however good, great, or exalted ; it 
is more than the death of a mere creature, be that 
creature as much above the noblest angel as the 
meanest of Adam's race is beneath it ! Yes, he was 
the Son of God — -God manifest in the flesh — and his 
death was a sacrifice, the consummation of an 
atonement for sin. The Lord laid on him the ini- 
quity of us all. He was wounded for our transgres- 
sions, he was bruised for our iniquities : the chas- 
tisement of our peace was upon him ; and with his 
stripes we are healed. — Isa. liii. 5, 6. And as it is 
appointed unto men once to die, but after this the 
judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the 
sins of many ; and unto them that look for him shall 
he appear the second time without sin, (or a sin- 
offering, having no sins laid on him then,) unto sal- 
vation. — Heb. ix. 27, 28. Unto salvation ! Had 
there been no sacrifice for sin, there could have been 
no salvation ; but now, since Christ has died, died to 
atone for sin, shed his blood for the remission of sins, 
there is salvation for man ; a door of hope is open, a 
way of escape from the wrath to come, and the voice 
of mercy cries, Escape for thy life ! Escape ! ! 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 19 

" The voice of free grace cries, Escape to the mountain, 
For Adam's lost race Christ hath opened a fountain : 
For sin and transgression and every pollution, 
His blood flows most freely in streams of salvation. 
Hallelujah to the Lamb, who has purchased our pardon : 
We will praise him again when we pass over Jordan. " 

Blood on the door-posts, and the angel of death 
passed over ! Blood shed, and blood applied ! It 
is only by the blood of Christ that we can escape 
eternal death. That blood has been shed, it must 
also be applied. It must be put upon our souls. 
We must be made partakers of its efficacv, of its 
virtue and power. As it was put upon the door- 
posts and sprinkled upon the altar, so it must be 
sprinkled upon us, applied by the Holy Ghost, re- 
ceived and appropriated by faith, for it is the blood 
of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that 
of Abel. — Heb. xii. 24. Christians are elect ac- 
cording to the foreknowledge of God the Father, 
through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience 
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. — 1 Pet. 
i. 2. Having, therefore, boldness to enter into the 
holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living- 
way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the 
vail, that is to say, his flesh ; and having a high 
priest over the house of God ; let us draw near 
with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having 
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and 
our bodies washed with pure water. — Heb. x. 19-22. 
Let us seek to have the blood of Christ applied to 
our souls, for his blood cleanseth from all sin, and 



20 OUR PASSOVER. 

this only can save us from coming wrath. — 1 John 
i. 7 ; Rom. v. 1, 9. 

"See, in the Saviour's dying blood, 

Life, health, and bliss abundant flow; 
'Tis only this dear sacred flood 

Can ease thy pain and heal thy wo." 

27ie Flesh ttoasted. 

The flesh of the lamb was to be roasted with fire. 
And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with 
fire, and unleavened bread. Eat not of it raw, 
nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire.- — 
Ex. xii. 8, 9. We are not to infer that it was cus- 
tomary with the Jews to eat flesh raw ; but as some 
of the heathen were given to this unseemly prac- 
tice in their idolatrous rites, the Lord saw fit to 
forbid the Jews so doing, that they might avoid 
everything superstitious, unseemly, and heathenish. 
Roasting the flesh in the fire was not without solemn 
and awful import. It taught the ill-desert of sin. 
" The Jewish burnt-offerings not only prefigured 
the atoning sacrifice of Christ, but showed that, as 
the animal was slain, so the offerer of the sacrifice 
deserved death for his sins : and as the animal was 
consumed, so he deserved to consume away for ever 
under the wrath of God.' Similar in import was 
the slaying of the paschal lamb, and the roasting 
of its flesh in the fire. It taught what the sinner 
deserved to suffer, and what Christ should suffer for 
sin. The flesh was "to be roasted with fire, to in- 
timate that Christ's sufferings, as our Surety, were 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 21 

exquisitely and inconceivably great, without the 
least abatement of any of that wrath which was 
due to our sins. It pleased the Lord to bruise him. 
God spared not his own Son." — Isa. liii. 5; Rom. 
viii. 32. Christ has suffered, the just for the unjust. 
And if he who knew no sin, and only had our sins 
laid on him, suffered so much, what, think ye, does 
the sinner himself deserve to suffer? And what, 
think you, must he suffer, if he neglect this great 
salvation ? See the sacrifice ^consuming with fire, 
and remember it is an emblem of the wrath of God 
due to sin, and behold in it an emblem of what 
must be endured for ever in the pit of despair by 
the impenitent and unbelieving ! And may the 
goodness of God in furnishing the great salvation, 
and the apprehensions of his just displeasure, lead 
you to the exercise of unfeigned repentance and to 
faith in Christ, for our God is a consuming fire, 
Heb. xii. 29. His wrath will consume those who 
take not refuge in the atoning blood of Christ. His 
vengeance will burn like fire. 

The Flesh Eaten, 

The roasted flesh of the paschal lamb was to be 
eaten. And they shall eat the flesh — roast with fire ! — 
— eat — not raw, nor sodden, but roast with fire. — 
Ex. xii. 8, 9. The flesh was not to be entirely con- 
sumed, but so prepared as to be suitable for food'; 
and when thus prepared, it was to be eaten. This 
indicates that the atonement of Christ is to be ap- 



22 ' OUR PASSOVER. 

propriated by faith. It must be received by us and 
rested on. He speaks of giving us his flesh to eat; 
and he says, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of 
man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. — 
John vi. 53. Not that we are to eat his flesh and 
drink his blood literally, but by faith ; receiving 
and resting on him as our Saviour, and so becoming 
partakers of the benefits of his incarnation, sufferings 
and death. As the Jews partook of the paschal 
supper, so we are to accept of Christ as our deliv- 
erer, and draw our supplies from him. He is the 
bread of life ; and we must feed by faith on the 
Son of God. The atonement of Christ will be of 
no saving benefit to us, unless we make it ours by 
the exercise of faith. The gospel provision must 
be eaten, or our souls will starve and die of hunger. 
We must believe if we would be saved. Whoso 
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eter- 
nal life. As the living Father hath sent me, and I 
live by the Father : so he that eateth me, even he 
shall live by me. — John vi. 53-58. 

Wliolly Eaten or IZurned. 

The paschal lamb was to be wholly eaten, or if 
any remained in the morning it was to be burned. 
And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morn- 
ing ; and that which remaineth of it until the morn- 
ing ye shall burn with fire. — Exod. xii. 10. " It 
was to be eaten wholly and entirely, and none of it 
left, to signify that Christ was to be wholly applied, 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 23 

in a way of believing, as being of God made unto us 
wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and 
redemption — 1 Cor. i. 30 ; while the annexed order, 
that if any part of the lamb was left, it should, be- 
fore the morning, be burned with fire, and not re- 
served either for food or any superstitious purposes, 
implied that it was a solemn propitiatory sacrifice of 
awful import, and not merely a cheer fur festival.' 
It pointed directly to Christ ; and we are to receive 
Jesus Christ as a complete and perfect and an all- 
sufficient Saviour. We are to take him in all his 
offices, as offered to us in the gospel, and rest on 
him for acceptance with God. We are to receive 
and rely upon him as our Prophet, Priest, and King, 
the only Mediator. The rejection of his offices, or 
of any part of his mediatorial character or work, is 
the rejection of him as our Saviour and the ruin of 
our souls. They who have Christ must have a 
whole Christ — the God-man, or no Christ. Is 
Christ divided ? Shall we attempt to divide him ? 
Shall we depreciate his work or his person, take 
away vicarious satisfaction from the one or divinity 
from the other ? Shall we rob him of one excel- 
lency after another, and fritter away his. character, 
till there is nothing left but creature excellencies, 
angelic it may be, or super-human, but yet finite ? 
Let me be a Judas or a Pilate rather ! They who 
nailed the Saviour to the cross, and pierced him with 
a spear, are innocent, compared with those who 
would take from him the crown of divinity, or deny 



24 ' OUR PASSOVER. 

the atoning merit of his blood ! No ; we must take 
the Saviour as presented in the gospel — "man to 
die, God to redeem ;' : we must receive him wholly, 
rely on him fully, and let no other trust intrude 
between him and our guilty souls. We must go to 
him as we are, and receive him as he is, while the 
language of our souls is, Jesus, and Jesus fully, and 
Jesus only ! Christ must be to us all in all ; for 
he will be everything or nothing. It pleased the 
Father that in him should all fulness *dweil ; and, 
having made peace through the blood of his cross, 
by him to reconcile all things unto himself. In him 
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily ; and 
of his fulness have all we received, and grace for 
grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace 
and truth came by Jesus Christ. — Col. i. 19, 20, and 
ii. 9. John i. 16, 17. And ye are complete in him. 
— Col. ii. 10. Accepted in the beloved. — Eph. i. 6. 

All Eat at the Same Time* 

All the families of Israel were to eat the passover 
at one and the same time. And they shall eat the 
flesh in that night ; at the same hour all the families 
were to eat. — Exod. jrii. 8. This was "to signify 
that there is enough in Christ to satisfy the need of 
his people at once, for in him dwelleth all the ful- 
ness of the Godhead bodily." — Col. ii. 9. It pleased 
the Father -that in him should all fulness dwell. 
There is in him an infinite fulness — an infinite suffi- 
ciency. There is no want in our natures, nor in 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 25 

our circumstances, which is not met by his all-suffi- 
ciency. All we need for time and eternity is in 
him ; and there is in him enough for all, and for all 
at once. The sacrifice which he has-made is of in- 
finite value. It lays the foundation for the offer of 
life to the world. It authorizes the preaching of 
the gospel tot every creature. Let all come who will 
come, and yet there is room. He that cometh shall 
in no wise be cast out, for Jesus Christ is able to 
save to the uttermost all them that come unto God 
by him. — Heb. vii. 25. Whosoever will, let him 
take the water of life freely. — Rev. xxii. 17. Look 
unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth : 
for I am God, and there is none else. — Isa. xlv. 22. 
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters ; 
and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat ; 
yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and 
without price. — -Isa. lv. 1. 

Eaten in Haste, 

t 

The passover was to be eaten the same night in 
which it was slain and in haste. * " The whole assem- 
bly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the 
evening, and they shall eat the flesh in that night, 
and ye shall eat it in haste. — Exod. xii. 6, 8, 11. 
This was to signify that Christ ought to be applied 
and appropriated by faith speedily, without delay. 
Behold, now is the accepted time." — 2 Cor. vi. 2. 
The Saviour should be embraced in haste ; no time 
is to be lost. There is no time for delay. The offer 

3 



26 OUR PASSOVER. 

should be accepted, the first invitation embraced. 
The sacrifice is offered, the lamb is slain, the pro- 
vision is made, all things are ready ; come to the 
feast. Come, 'eat and live ! Come unto me, all ye 
that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you 
rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; 
for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall 
find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, 
and my burden is light. — Matt. xi. 28-30. 

" Ho, all ye hungry, starving souls, 
Who feed upon the wind, 
And vainly strive, with earthly toys, 

To fill an empty mind: 
Eternal wisdom has prepared 

A soul-reviving feast; 
And bids your longing appetites 
« The rich provision taste." 

All Concerned* 

All Israel were concerned in the matter. — -Ex. xii. 
6, 8, 11. The whole assembly of the congregation 
of Israel were to kill the paschal lamb, and all were 
to eat of it. All were interested. And so Jesus 

4 

Christ was put to death on Calvary ; in the presence 
of the whole city of Jerusalem, or where . nearly 
the whole city could see the solemn transaction; 
and it was witnessed not only by the inhabitants of 
Jerusalem, but also by the multitudes gathered from 
all parts of Judea to celebrate the feast of the pass- 
over. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wil- 
derness, so has the Son of man been lifted up. He 
is made a spectacle to the world. To him the past 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 27 

ages looked forward ; to him the following ages look 
back. By the preaching of the gospel, all eyes are 
directed to him. To him the messengers of the 
cross point their hearers, and say, Behold the Lamb 
of God ! And every man has an interest in this 
matter. His own salvation is concerned. His eter- 
nal all is at stake. He must lay hold on Christ for 
himself or perish. He must believe or be damned. 
This one thing is needful. Let it be heeded. Seek 
ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 
—Matt. vi. 33. 

Not a JSone Uroken. 

The very circumstances of the crucifixion were 
foreshadowed in the passover institution. The lamb 
was to be roasted whole, and not a bone of it broken. 
— Ex. xii. 9, 46. This was fulfilled in Jesus Christ ; 
he was nailed to the cross, he was pierced with a 
spear, but not a bone of him was broken. Then 
came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, 
and of the other which was crucified with him. 
But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was 
dead already, they brake not his legs. These 
things were done that the Scripture should be ful- 
filled, A bone of him shall not be broken. — John 
xix. 31-37. Thus in him were the Scriptures ful- 
filled. He is the promised Messiah ; the substance 
of the law's shadows, the truth *of what the prophets 
foretold, the fulfilment of Old Testament types, the 
true passover. Even Christ our passover is sacri- 
ficed for us. They who are sprinkled with his blood 



28 OUR PASSOVER. 

are secure from the destroying angel. Over them 
the second death can have no power. Their sins 
are removed, their transgressions covered, their souls 
are safe, and they have peace and joy. Therefore, 
being justified by faith, we have peace with God ' 
through our Lord Jesus Christ. — Rom. v. 1. For 
he is our peace ; having made peace through the 
blood of his cross. — Eph. ii. 14 ; Col. i. 20. 

It is to be remembered, too, that our Lord was 
crucified at the time of the Jewish passover ; and 
now, instead of that festival, we are to keep a life- 
long feast, and we have also the Lord's Supper, 
which was instituted by him the night before his 
crucifixion, and which is to be observed by his peo- 
ple until his second coming. Hence let us now 
consider the duty of commemorating the sacrifice 
of' Christ. For even Christ our passover is sacri- 
ficed for us ; therefore let us keep the feast. 

The Feast to he Kept. 

The passover is slain, the feast is to be kept. 
And let us keep the feast, first, by believing in him. 
We must believe. As Christ our passover has been 
sacrificed for us — has died in our stead and made 
an atonement for our sins — we should keep the feast 
by embracing him as our Saviour, feeding on him 
by faith, and living to his glory. As the Jews fed 
on the paschal lamb, which was a type of Christ, 
and thus kept the feast of the passover, so we are 
to embrace Christ's atonement, believe in him as 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 29 

our Saviour, feed on him by faith, and so live as to 
honour and glorify him, and thus keep the gospel 
feast. Christ is our passover, or paschal lamb, sac- 
rificed for us, and to keep the feast, is, in the first 
place, and as our first duty, by faith to receive Jesus 
Christ, and thus avail ourselves of the benefits of 
this sacrifice. The first duty, then, that we may 
commemorate the sacrifice of Christ, is to believe in 
him. Without this no other commemoration will 
be of any avail. We must come to Christ and 
trust in him, or we cannot keep the feast. To 
come to him is the first duty ; but this first duty 
does not exclude a second; this commemoration 
does not exclude another, very significant and im- 
portant. It is indeed but the beginning of the feast ; 
it ends only with* life — nor even then ; for death 
introduces us to the marriage-supper of the Lamb, 
and that is as lasting as eternity. It shall never 
end. It begins when we believe ; for the joys of 
the redeemed on earth and in heaven are one, of 
the same nature, differing only in degree. " Sal- 
vation is not merely a future though certain good ; 
it is a present and abundant joy.' And not only 
so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus 
Christ, by whom we have now received the atone- 
ment, or reconciliation. — Rom. v. 8-11. 

A. Xdfe-long Festival. 

The whole Christian life is a feast of consecration to 
God. The sacrifice of the Jewish passover was to be 



■5K 



30 OUR PASSOVER. 

followed by a seven*days' festival — seven days conse- 
crated to God. Christ our passover being sacrificed 
for us, the Christian life is to be a perpetual festival, 
a life-long paschal feast, a perpetual consecration to 
God, begun in the reception of hirn by faith, continued 
in a life of obedience and of constant feeding upon 
him. We are to live by faith on the Son of God ; we 
are to feed on him ; we are to draw all our supplies 
and all our comforts from him ; we are to honour 
and glorify him ; we are to live, not to ourselves, but 
to him ; we are to be wholly devoted and entirely 
consecrated to his service while life lasts and while 
immortality endures. Our paschal lamb is slain ; 
let us keep the feast ; let our whole lives be one 
paschal festival, lives of trust in Christ, lives of sor- 
row for sin, lives of joy for deliverance, lives of 
gratitude and thanksgiving, lives of cheerful obedi- 
ence, lives of consecration to our Master's service, 
lives of self-denial and sacrifice for the world's good, 
lives of toil, lives of prayer and praise, lives of 
deadness to sin and the world, lives of sincerity and 
truth in doing our Master's will, lives of holiness, 
departing from all ungodliness and worldly lusts, 
and living soberly, righteously, and godly, in this 
present world, adorning in all things the doctrine of 
God our Saviour. — Titus ii. 10-14. He that saith 
he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, 
even as he walked. And every man that hath this 
hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. — 
1 John ii. 6, and hi. 2, 3. For even Christ our 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. , 31 

passover is sacrificed for us : therefore let us keep 
the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven 
of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened 
bread of sincerity and truth. — 1 Cor. v. 6-8. "To 
keep the feast means, ' Let your whole lives be as a 
sacred festival, that is, consecrated to God.' As a 
feast lasting seven, days was connected with the 
slaying of the paschal lamb ; so a life of consecra- 
tion to God should be connected with the death of 
our passover — Christ.' A life-long feast; such is 
the Christian life. He lives not to himself, but to 
God ; for he is not his own : he is bought with a 
price — redeemed, .not with corruptible things, as 
silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, 
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. — 
1 Pet. i. 18-21. 

Tlie Lord's Supper, 

The death of Christ is to be commemorated. It 
must be kept in perpetual remembrance. Thus Paul 
wrote to the Corinthians, For I have received of the 
Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the 
Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, 
took bread i and when he had given thanks, he brake 
it, and said, Take, eat ; this is my body, which is 
broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 
After the same manner also he took the cup, when 
he had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testa- 
ment in my blood : this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, 
in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this 



32 OUR PASSOVER. 

bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's 
death till he come. — 1 Cor. xi. 23 — 26. This is 
one of the means which God has appointed for sus- 
taining the life of grace in the soul ; a help to a life 
of consecration to God. Therefore let us keep the 
feast, the feast of the Lord's supper, which com- 
memorates the sacrifice of Christ our passover, as a 
means of spiritual growth and of faithfulness in his 
service. As the Jews kept the passover, which was 
a type of the sacrifice of Christ ; so we are to keep 
the feast of the Lord's supper, which is a commemor 
ration of that sacrifice. The feast of the passover 
was a feast upon a sacrifice, typifying a nobler sacri- 
fice and commemorating deliverance from bondage. 
The Lord's supper is a feast commemorative of that 
nobler sacrifice which the passover shadowed forth, 
and is to be observed in remembrance of that sacri- 
fice — of him who was slain and of the deliverance 
wrought by his death. It is a commemorative ordi- 
nance. Therefore let us keep the feast ; let us cele- 
brate the dying love of Jesus Christ ; let us keep in 
mind the passover slain for us. He hath said, This 
do in remembrance of me. By this ye do shew 
forth the Lord's death till he come. The duty of 
keeping this feast, which takes the place of the Jew- 
ish passover, is one which is plainly inculcated, one 
which I know not how any who love the Saviour 
can feel themselves justified in neglecting. It is ex- 
pressly enjoined by Jesus Christ himself, and is en- 
forced by his example : it is enjoined by apostolic 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 33 

authority, and enforced by the practice of the 
primitive church ; the example of the church in all 
ages enforces it ; and when viewed as a memento of 
the sufferings and death of Jesus Ohrist for sin, 
simple, appropriate, touching, who would not say, 
As Christ our passover is sacrificed for us, therefore 
let us keep the feast. It is an imperious duty and a 
glorious privilege. This is our passover festival — a 
remembrance of the Son of Grod in his sufferings 
and death for us. But let a man examine himself, 
and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that 
cup. — 1 Cor. xi. 28. 

How to Tzecp the Feast* 

Let us now look at the manner of commemorating 
the sacrifice of Christ, or of keeping our* passover. 
Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, 
as ye are unleavened. Keep the feast, not with old 
leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wicked- 
ness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and 
truth. — -1 Cor. v. 6-8. This teaches us how we are 
to keep the feast, both as it respects the reception 
of the atonement by faith and the life of holiness 
we are to lead, and also as it respects the commem- 
oration of Christ's sacrifice in the holy supper. 

What is Needed. 

To avail ourselves of the atonement, we must 
believe *in Jesus Christ; we are, by divine grace, 
to purge out the old leaven, repent of and forsake 



34 OUR PASSOVER. 

our sins, and rest by faith on Jesus Christ in sin- 
cerity and truth. We cannot have Christ and keep 
our sins ; we cannot have pardon and peace, and 
yet remain in unbelief. We cannot keep the gos- 
pel feast with our hearts filled with the leaven of 
malice and wickedness. As Christ died for sin, so 
we must die to sin. The first step to a holy life is 
to come to Christ for life. . He gave himself for 
us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and 
purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of 
good works. Burdened with a sense of sin, we 
must go to him, and rely upon him, and our sins 
shall be forgiven. Christ will be our peace and our 
salvation. He says, This people have I formed for 
myself; they shall shew forth my praise. 

After thus availing ourselves of the atonement 
and its benefits, we are to walk in newness of life, 
remembering that we are not our own, because we 
are bought with a price ; we are to hold a life-long 
festival — a perpetual eucharist — live a life of con- 
secration to God ; and as a part of our duty, and 
as a means of spiritual growth, we are, at suitable 
times, to commemorate the sacrifice of Christ in 
the sacrament of the Supper. And while the lan- 
guage of the disciple is applicable to the whole 
Christian life, it is specially applicable to this par- 
ticular occasion. It teaches us how we are to come 
to this feast, or the spirit we are to possess, the 
preparation of heart which is necessary. Where- 
fore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 35 

cup of the Lo'rd, unworthily, shall be guilty of the 
body and blood of the Lord. But let a man ex- 
amine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and 
drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh 
unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to him- 
self, not discerning the Lord's body. — 1 Cor. xi. 
26-30. 

Old Leaven. 

We are not to keep this feast — nor our life-fes- 
tival — with old leaven, with sin retained and prac- 
tised. Our hearts must be changed and purified 
before we are prepared to partake of these emblems. 
We must be born again, become new creatures in 
Christ Jesus, old things must pass away, all things 
become new. The old leaven must be purged out, 
that we may be a new lump, unleavened, holy. 
" As the Corinthians were to purge out the leaven 
of heathen licentiousness, and every evil habit and 
practice, so we are to eradicate every disposition, 
habit, and practice, as to its allowed indulgence, 
which is opposed to the divine will. Our old sins 
are to be forsaken, and new dispositions, habits, and 
practices are to be cherished. Put off concerning 
the former conversation the old man, which is cor- 
rupt according to the deceitful lusts ; and be re- 
newed in the spirit of your mind ; and that ye put 
on the new man, which after God is created in right- 
eousness and true holiness." — Eph. iv. 20-24. 



36 OUR PASSOVER. 



Xeaven of Malice and Wickedness, 

Neither are we to keep this feast — nor our life- 
festival — with the leaven of malice and wickedness. 
We are to cherish no unkind nor improper feelings 
towards our fellow-men. We are to have a charita- 
ble and forgiving spirit. If others trespass against 
us, we are to forgive. We must harbour no malice, 
for that is murder. Nor is wickedness to be in- 
dulged. Every unholy motion and desire is to be 
banished from our hearts, every sinful affection is 
to be mortified; we are to love all men, love 
our neighbours as ourselves ; and hereby we know 
that we have passed from death unto life, because 
we love the brethren. Let brotherly love continue. 
The love of God must be shed abroad in our hearts 
by the Holy Ghost given unto us ; the love of Christ 
must constrain us ; we must be controlled by love ; 
and love must dwell in our hearts and be shown in 
our lives. See in the bread and wine the tokens of 
Christ's love ; and how can we think of keeping 
this feast with the leaven of malice and wickedness ? 
No, these must be banished ! Wherefore putting 
away lying, speak every man truth with his neigh- 
bour : for we are members one of another. Let 
all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, 
and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all 
malice : and be ye kind one to another, tender- 
hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for 
Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 37 

followers of God, as clear children ; and walk in 
love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given 
himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God, 
for a sweet-smelling savour. — Eph. iv. 25-32 ; and 
v. 1-7. 

Unleavened Bread, 

No ; we must keep this feast — and our life-fes- 
tival — with the unleavened bread of sincerity and 
truth. The Jewish passover must be kept without 
leaven ; and so in the feast, commemorative of the 
sacrifice of Christ our passover, we must have no 
unhallowed leaven. There must be no leaven of 
malice and wickedness — no leaven of insincerity — 
no leaven of unfaithfulness ; we must be sincere — 
sincere in our reception of Christ — sincere in our 
professions of attachment to him — sincere in our 
acts of worship— sincere in the solemn ordinance 
of the Lord's Supper, and celebrate what we pro- 
fess to, the dying and atoning love of Jesus Christ. 
We must be sincere in our whole lives. There must 
be no leaven of deception, nor of hypocrisy. We 
must have the unleavened bread of truth, as well 
as of sincerity. We may be sincere, and yet be 
deceived. Sincerity is no infallible evidence of cor- 
rectness. We must have truth on our side, and in 
our hearts, as well as sincerity. We must believe 
and obey the truth. We must speak the truth in 
all our professions and doings, in all our intercourse 
with God and men. We must love the truth, seek 
the truth, prize the truth, be willing to suffer for 



38 OUR PASSOVER. 

the truth, know the truth, that the truth may make 
us free. "We must possess that inward state which 
answers to the truth, that moral condition which is 
conformed to the law and character of God." Our 
characters must be of "transparent clearness," and 
conformed to the divine. In a moral point of view, 
we must be like God, conformed to the image of his 
Son. In this ordinance — and in our whole lives- — 
we must be sincere and true, believe what it signi- 
fies, mean what we profess, and do what we cove- 
nant and promise. Know ye not that a little leaven 
leaveneth the whole lump ? Purge out therefore 
the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye 
are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is 
sacrificed for us : therefore let us keep the feast, 
not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of mal- 
ice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread 
of sincerity and truth. Let our lives be a constant 
passover festival, a perpetual eucharist, a constant 
honouring of Christ by lives of faith in him and 
of obedience to him. Wherefore laying aside all 
malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, 
and all evil speakings, as new-born babes, desire the 
sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby : 
if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed 
indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 
ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual 
house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacri- 
fices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Ye are a 



CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 39 

chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy na- 
tion, a peculiar people ; that ye should shew forth 
the praises of him who hath called you out of dark- 
ness into his marvellous light. — 1 Pet. ii. 1-10. 

Useful Ziessons, 

1. There is an atonement. The paschal lamb 
was a sacrifice ; and this was a type of Christ. 
Hence it is written, Christ our passover is sacrificed 
for us. He gave himself a ransom. In him we 
have redemption through his blood. He is the pro- 
pitiation for our sins. By his death he has made 
an atonement for sin. Hence there is hope for 
man. There is salvation, because Christ has died. 

2. This atonement is to be received and relied on 
by faith. The provision is to be partaken of, the 
bread of life eaten, the feast kept. In this atone- 
ment let me beseech you to put your trust ; on this 
Saviour cast your souls ; believe, that you may be 
saved. 

3. The atoning death of Christ should be cele- 
brated. Why should it not be ? What event in 
the world's history more worthy of commemoration 
than the death of Jesus Christ ? And when he has 
said, This do in remembrance of me, shall we not 
do this ? Christ our passover being sacrificed for 
us, shall we not keep the feast ? Shall we not con- 
nect with his death and with our faith in him a life 
devoted to his service — a life of trust — a life of 
obedience ? 



40 OUR PASSOVER,. 

4. The commemoration of this event — the death 
of Christ — sjiould have an abiding influence upon 
us. The old leaven of a corrupt nature, and the 
leaven of malice and wickedness, should be purged 
out, never more to be admitted. The unleavened 
bread of sincerity and truth should ever abide with 
us-— through all our life-festival. When we go from 
this ordinance, and from every act of w T orship, we 
should not forget its solemnities, but carry its hal- 
lowed influence with us in all the walks and business 
of life, and thus perpetuate the feast while life 
lasts. Christ is our passover ; and for us to live is 
Christ ; and then to die will be gain. 

5. Let sinners avail themselves of the sacrifice 
of Christ. He has opened the way of salvation to 
you, reader, and he invites you to enter it. Listen 
to his voice ; enter, and enter now, that you may 
be saved ! 

Hymn, 

"Not all the blood of beasts 
On* Jewish altars slain, 
Could give the guilty conscience peace, 
Or wash away the stain. 

" But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, 
Takes all our sins away : 
A sacrifice of nobler name, 
And richer blood than they. 

" My faith would lay her hand 
On that dear head of thine, 
While like a penitent I stand, 
And there confess my sin. 






CHRIST OUR PASSOVER. 41 

" My soul looks back to see 

The burdens thou didst bear, 
When hanging on the cursed tree, 
And hopes her guilt was there. 

"Believing, we rejoice 

To see the curse remove ; 
"We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice, 
And sing his bleeding love." 
4 * 



42 OUR PASSOVER. 



II. 

THE GJREAT THINGS OF THE JO AW. 

I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were 
counted as a strange thing. — Hosea viii. 12. 

Great things accounted strange. 

This is brought as a serious charge against 
Ephraim, or the ten tribes of Israel. They had 
broken off from the other two tribes, and instead of 
worshipping the true God, had turned away after 
idols. They set up altars to their false gods, and 
delighted in serving them. This their way was their 
folly and their sin ; and it was declared that their 
conduct was peculiarly sinful, and should bring upon 
them the righteous displeasure of their neglected 
and injured Maker. Because Ephraim hath made 
many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin. 
I have written to him the great things of- my law, 
but they were counted as a strange thing. They 
sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, 
and eat it ; but the Lord accepteth them not ; now 
will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins : 
they shall return to Egypt — they shall be punished. 
For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, — Hos. viii. 
11-14 ; accounted great things strange things. 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 43 

Great Tilings of the £aw. 

It is proposed to consider some of the great things 
of the law written to Israel and how they were 
counted as a strange thing. The laws of the Jews, 
which are the laws of God, are divided into moral 
and positive. The positive are subdivided into 
ceremonial and judicial. The judicial laws of the 
Jews relate to political matters, and need not be 
brought into view in this discussion. Our attention 
will be confined to the great things of the moral and 
ceremonial laws of the Jews ; and may the Great 
Lawgiver teach us, that we may not err ; may he* 
guide us into all truth, and help us to love his law, 
to delight in the law of God after the inward man, 
the renewed heart. May he so help us that we may 
never count the great things of the law a strange 
thing ! 

The floral Xaw, 

In the first place, we are to consider, for our in- 
struction, the great things of the moral law. I have 
written to him the great things of my law, the great 
things of the moral law. The word moral literally 
has respect to the manners of men;* but when ap- 

* Much in these pages may he found in Fisher's Catechissi:, 
published by the Presbyterian Board of Publication. The language 
of that work is also used to some extent, without quotation marks, 
this general acknowledgment being deemed sufficient. It is thought 
many may like to see in a small compass what is there scattered 
over several pages, especially as all may not have access to that ex- 
cellect book. 



44 OUR PASSOVER. 

plied to the law, it signifies that which is perpetually 
binding, in opposition to that which is binding only 
for a time. The moral law is summarily compre- 
hended in the ten commandments ; but a fair copy 
of it was originally written upon the heart and 
mind of man at his first creation ; because he was 
made after the image of God. This law, written on 
the heart, is sometimes called the law of nature, be- 
cause it is that necessary, unalterable rule of right 
and wrong, founded in the infinitely holy and just 
nature of God, and whereunto men, as reasonable 
creatures, cannot but be indispensably bound. This 
law, written on the heart of man when created in 
the image of God, is the natural instinct of the 
reasonable creature, implanted in the soul by God 
himself. This law can never be entirely obliterated, 
for all men have innate principles of right and 
wrong, implanted in their natures. Yet it has be- 
come corrupted, perverted, and obscured by the fall, 
so that it is insufficient to guide men in the path of 
duty here, and of course insufficient to conduct them 
to eternal life hereafter. Although God inscribed 
his law on the heart of man when he created him, 
yet, because of the introduction of sin, it became 
necessary for God to write to him in another form 
the great things of his law. This he did in the ten 
commandments. When and how these were given, 
you may read in Exodus, chapters xix. and xx. 
From the remarks previously made, it may be in- 
ferred that the moral law and the law of nature are 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 45 

the same ; and so they are for substance. The law 
of nature is the law written on man's heart when 
created ; the moral law, properly so called, is con- 
tained in the ten commandments. Although the 
same duties, which are contained in the law of 
nature, are prescribed also in the moral law ; yet 
there is this difference, that in the law of nature, 
there is nothing but what is moral, that is, of per- 
petual obligation; but in the moral law, there is 
something also that is positive, namely, the means 
of worship, and circumscribing the particular day 
for the observation of the Sabbath. That God is to 
be worshipped, is a dictate of the law of nature ; 
and this is a moral law, perpetually binding ; but 
the manner of his worship must depend on his will, 
and he may change it as he pleases — he may require 
men to offer sacrifices, as he did the Jews ; or he may 
dispense with them, as he now does. Again, if God 
is to be worshipped, then some particular time must 
be set apart for his worship. This is a dictate of 
the law of nature, perpetually binding ; but what 
time, must depend on his will, and he may change it 
as he pleases. Under the Jewish dispensation, he 
may require the observance of the seventh day of 
the week, and under the gospel, the observance of 
the first day as the Sabbath. Hence the law of the 
Sabbath is partly moral and partly positive. That 
a Sabbath should be observed, that is, a day set. 
apart for the worship of God, is a moral law, per- 
petually binding ; but that it should now be the first 



46 OUR PASSOVER. 

day of the week to be thus observed, is a positive 
law, depending, for its authority, upon the will of 
the Divine Lawgiver. It is proper, however, that the 
law of the Sabbath, being in its essential part moral, 
should have a place in the moral law ; and the fact 
that it is placed there by infinite wisdom and good- 
ness, teaches that it may not be innocently disre- 
garded, and will never be abrogated. While time 
endures we shall be bound to remember the Sabbath 
day to keep it holy. In this respect God has written 
to us the great things of his law, and we must be- 
ware how we count them as a strange thing ! If 
thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from 
doing thy pleasure on my holy day ; and call the 
Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable ; 
and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, 
nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine 
own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the 
Lord ; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high 
places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage 
of Jacob thy father : for the mouth of the Lord 
hath spoken it. — Isa. lviii. 13, 14. 

The Mule and the Reason, 

Now the moral law must not only be regarded as 
the rule of our obedience, but also as the reason 
thereof. We must not only do what is commanded 
in the law, and avoid what is forbidden therein; 
but we must also do good, for this very reason, that 
God requires it ; and avoid evil, because he forbids 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 47 

it. I am the Lord your God : ye shall therefore 
keep my statutes, and my judgments. — Lev. xviii. 
4, 5. As to the duties required in the law, they 
are just and reasonable in their own nature, ante- 
cedently to any divine precept about them, being 
founded in the very holiness and wisdom of God, 
and growing out of our relations to him and to each 
other. Hence the law is holy, and the command- 
ment holy, and just, and good. — Rom. vii. 12. It 
commends itself to every man's conscience in the 
sight of God. It coincides with our sense of right 
and wrong. Yet its claims conflict with the natural 
inclinations of our corrupt hearts. By nature we 
have no love for the law, any more than we have 
for its great Author, for we are sinners. We disre- 
gard the law. We hate it. We esteem it a strange 
thing, or we make ourselves strangers to its holy 
and spiritual requisitions. So did the Jews, and 
exposed themselves to its curse. To that curse we 
are exposed ; for it is written, Cursed is every one 
that continueth not in all things written in the book 
of the law to do them. — Gal. iii. 10. 

Hedempiion Necessary. 

It was needful that Christ should come to redeem 
them and us from the curse of the law. That curse 
is eternal death — a great thing and a fearful thing. 
It was the moral law that Christ came to honour ; 
it was the curse of this law that he bare for us ; 
and from this curse that he redeems his people, 



48 OUR PASSOVER. 

being made a curse for them. — Gal. iii. 13. He 
came not to mend the layf, nor to give a new law; 
but to honour the old, and deliver his chosen from 
its penalty. He acted the part of an interpreter 
and defender of the law, but not of a new lawgiver, 
as is evident from his explaining the law, and vin- 
dicating it in his sermon on the mount from the cor- 
rupt glosses that were put upon it. When he said, 
A new commandment I give unto yoil^ that ye love 
one another, he intended only to enforce the sub- 
stance of the old law by the new motive and ex- 
ample of his unparalleled love to us, imported in 
the words immediately following : As I have loved 
you, that ye also love one^ another. — John xiii. 34. 
The apostle gives expression to this new motive 
when he says, For the love of Christ constraineth 
us ; because we thus judge, that if one died for 
all, then were all dead : and that he died for all, 
that they which live should not henceforth live unto 
themselves, but unto him* which died for them, and 
rose again. — 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. 

Christ Died, 

Jesus Christ has loved us with a love stronger 
than death. He laid down his life for us. He died 
for our sins. The sacrifice which he then made is 
a perfect and sufficient sacrifice. On him was laid 
the iniquity of us all. By his obedience, sufferings, 
and death, he has made an atonement for sin which 
satisfies the claims of the divine law, satisfies per- 



y 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 49 

fectly the justice of God. This atonement is of in- 
finite value. It is sufficient for the world ; yea, for 
ten thousand worlds, were such the purpose and the 
pleasure of God. It could not be more valuable, 
for it is infinite ; and must, therefore, be sufficient — 
sufficient for all. It is, moreover, adapted to the 
wants of all. Just such provision is made by Christ 
and in him, as every sinner needs. In Christ every 
sinner may find a Saviour adapted to his necessities. 
Hence the atonement is adapted to all. It is, more- 
over, available to all ; that is, there is nothing in its 
nature to exclude any from its benefits who are 
really desirous to partake of them. It is freely 
offered to all ; and it is declared, Whosoever will, let 
him take the water of life freely. — Rev. xxii. 17. 
It follows that, as the atonement is sufficient for all, 
and adapted to all, and available to all, and offered 
to all, they who die in their sins must be without 
excuse. There is nothing in the atonement, nothing 
in the plan of salvation, which can be the reason 
why they perish. We must look for that reason in 
their own corrupt hearts. They wilfully and sinfully 
reject offered mercy; they account the great things 
of the law, and of the gospel too, a strange thing, 
and remain aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, 
and strangers from the covenants of promise, having 
no hope, and without God in the world. — Eph. ii. 
12. In the sinner's own heart, then, we find the 
reason why he perishes ; it is because of his sins, 
and for this cause he is foreordained to eternal 



50 OUR PASSOVER. 

wrath. He is not made on purpose to be damned, 
but damned on purpose because he is a sinner. 
This may be a great thing, but surely we should not 
count it a strange thing. Hath not the potter power 
over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel 
unto honour, and another unto dishonour ? What 
if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his 
power known, endured with much long-suffering the 
vessels of wrath fitted to destruction : and that he 
might make known the riches of his glory on the 
vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto 
glory, even us, whom he hath called, not of the 
Jews only, but also of the Gentiles ? — Rom. ix. 
18-24. 

Wlvy any Perish, 

It seems, then, that we can account very well for 
the perdition of them that perish. Although there 
is an infinite — an all-sufficient — atonement, they do 
not accept it when offered to them, and they die be- 
cause they come not to Christ. And whether any 
other doctrine in the Christian system can be ex- 
plained, or accounted for, or not, this, one thing I 
am persuaded is too clear to be doubted or denied, 
— that they who perish are without excuse. Let, 
then, this principle be settled ; and let us be fully 
persuaded that if we perish, we can blame none but 
ourselves. Then let us work out our own salvation 
with fear and trembling, and see to it that we make 
our calling and election sure. Awake thou that 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 51 

sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall 
give thee light. — Eph. v. 14. 

WJiy any are Saved. 

But if we are saved, what then ? Shall we owe 
it to ourselves ? How shall we account for the salva- 
tion of those who are saved? Is it because they 
are better by nature than others ? or better by prac- 
tice? or because they of themselves repent and be- 
lieve, or change their own hearts and sanctify their 
own souls? Far from it. How then is it to be ac- 
counted for? We have seen that the atonement 
is sufficient for all, adapted to all, available for all, 
offered to all, yet all are not saved. Though the 
atonement is sufficient for all, yet it is clear that it is 
not efficient to all. Yet it is efficient to some, and 
this is the thing to be accounted for. Some are 
saved, how shall we account for it ? We must go to 
the Bible, and we must submit to the teachings of 
the Bible. Well, what does the Bible teach in re- 
gard to this great thing ? When we open this sacred 
volume, and look for light on this dark point, we 
are directed by the Spirit of inspiration to the pur- 
pose of Grod according to election. We read that 
the people of Christ were given to him by the 
Father as a seed to serve him ; that they are chosen 
in him, that is, in Christ, before the foundation of 
the world — according as he hath chosen us in him 
before the foundation of the world. — Eph. i. 4. 
Chosen us in him — chosen in Christ. It seems, 



52 OUR PASSOVER. 

then, that they who are saved were chosen in Christ 
before the world began. To these, then, the Father 
had special regard in the plan of redemption, for he 
gave them to his Son; to these the Son had special 
regard in his work, for they are the sheep for whom 
he gave his life; and to these the Holy Ghost has 
special regard in applying the benefits of Christ's 
death. For these Christ was a substitute and 
surety; and his sufferings were a true and proper 
substitution for what they deserved to suffer, and 
must have suffered, had he not died for them and in 
their stead. Hence the atonement which he made 
secures their salvation; because they were given 
him of the Father, he had special reference to them 
in his work, and the Holy Spirit carries out the 
scheme of mercy by renewing their hearts and ap- 
plying to them the benefits purchased by atoning 
blood. Christ purchased for them the Spirit; and 
it is because the Spirit gives them a new heart that 
they repent and believe. Their salvation, therefore, 
is all of grace, and must be traced back to the 
electing love of God. And while eternal ages roll 
on, they will cry, Grace, grace unto it. 

" Grace first contrived the way 
To save rebellious man ; 
And all the steps that grace display, 
Which drew the wOndrous plan." 

God's Pleasure* 

If it be asked why God chooses some and not 
others, it may be answered, why did he choose any ? 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 53 

Why does he save any? He was under no obliga- 
tion to save any ; he might have left all to perish ; 
and may he not have mercy on whom he will, and 
do what he pleases with his own, when none perish, 
and none are punished, but because of their sins ? 
Nay, but, man, who art thou that repliest against 
God? Shall the thing formed say to him that 
formed it, "Wny hast thou made me thus ? — Rom. ix. 
18—21. This is one of the great things which he 
chooses not to explain; and it becomes us to say, 
Even so, for so it seemeth good in thy sight. The 
fact that some are chosen and others not, alters not 
our duty. Salvation is to be freely offered to all; 
and all who have the offer made them are bound to 
accept it, and if they refuse, it is at their peril. 
Reader, the offer is made to you ! In the name of 
Christ, I offer you salvation ; I offer it to you freely, 
without money and without price ; and I assure you 
that if you come to Christ, you shall in no wise be 
cast out. Now do you say to me, "I may not be 
elected, and I do not know, therefore, whether I shall 
be accepted or not?' I answer that I have nothing to 
do with that matter, and you have nothing to do with 
it. Your business is to come to Christ, and to come 
to-day, right where you are, and to come now ; and 
when you come and are rejected, it will be time 
enough to say you were not elected. You say you 
may not be elected, and therefore may not be re- 
ceived if you come to Christ ; I say to you in the 
words of Jesus Christ himself, — Him that cometh to 



54 OUR PASSOVER. 

me I will in no wise cast out. John vi. 37. Now 
will you contradict the blessed Redeemer? May 
not be received? But Christ says you shall be re- 
ceived; that he will give you rest. Not received? 
Why you might just as well say, God knows 
whether I shall be saved or not; so it is certain, or 
else he could not know it, and if certain one way or 
the other, why no anxiety of mine about it can alter 
the matter; then why should I be concerned? Why 
concerned? Because your soul is in danger. Its 
eternity is at stake. You must be concerned or die 
in your sins. Remember, God's knowledge, and 
God's purposes, are not the rule of your duty. 
Your duty is made known in the Bible; and you 
must do it, or you will perish in your sins, and that 
justly. So the Bible teaches ; and so you must do 
or die! • ^ 

You see, then, that the views advanced do not 
hinder from urging men everywhere to flee imme- 
diately to Christ for life and salvation. This is our 
duty; and again I point you to Christ and beseech 
you to lay hold on the hope set before you. Behold 
the Lamb of God ! Look and live ! Do you again 
say, "I have a wicked heart; I cannot change my 
own heart ; if God do not please to give me faith and 
repentance, I cannot help it; I am altogether de- 
pendent upon him?' Dependent, and you can't 
help it ! I want to put a question directly to your 
heart, — Do you feel perfectly innocent while making 
this objection? Does not something whisper, "I 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 55 

have not tried to help it?' Ah, did you truly feel 
your helplessness and dependence, there might be 
some hope. Then you would begin to ask God for 
help; you would cry then, "God be merciful to me 
a sinner!' Oh, that you would thus cry! I know, 
reader, that you are helpless ; I know you are depen- 
dent upon divine grace ; and I would to God you 
might be truly sensible of it ! Did you but feel it 
as you ought, you would begin now, right where 
you are, to call upon God for help. Did you feel 
that your salvation is altogether in the hands of 
God, and that he might justly send you to hell at 
any moment, you would not rest, you would not 
give sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids, 
till you had evidence of acceptance with him. Yet 
so it is; "you are in his hands; your salvation is sus- 
pended upon his sovereign pleasure; he may cut 
you off in a moment ; and will you yet dare to offend 
hrm? Will you reject his Son? Will you resist 
and grieve his Spirit ? Will you refuse to call upon 
his name? And when he has given you the great 
things of his law and gospel, will you esteem them 
a strange thing? Reader, there is danger, for our 
God is a consuming fire ! Heb. xii. 29. 

TJie IjClw JPreacJied, 

The great things of the law are to be preached, 
that men may see their utter impotence and inability 
to attain justification by the deeds thereof; and thus 
it is a school-master to bring them to Christ, that 



56 OUR, PASSOVER. 

they may be justified by faith. It is spiritual in its 
demands; it requires spotless holiness of nature, 
perfect, personal, and perpetual obedience in this life, 
and full satisfaction for sin, which none of mankind 
being capable of, they are shut up to the hope of 
the gospel; for Christ is the end of the law for 
righteousness to every one that believeth. Rom. 
x. 4. It is written, Cursed is every one that con- 
tinueth not in all things which are written in the 
book of the law to do them. Gal. iii. 10. To this 
curse we are all by nature exposed; condemned, 
and under the curse, how may we be delivered from 
it? Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the 
law, being made a curse for us ; so that, believing in 
him, we are delivered from the curse, and are freed 
from the law as a covenant of life, and are under it 
only as a rule of life. Gal. iii. 11-14, 21-23. As 
to unbelievers, the lav/ is intended to teach them 
their need of Christ and lead them to him for life 
and salvation ; as to believers, it is of use to excite 
them to express their gratitude and thankfulness to 
Christ for his fulfilling it as a covenant in their 
stead ; by their studying conformity thereto, both in 
their hearts and lives, as the rule of their obedience. 
Do we then make void the law through faith ? God 
forbid: yea, we establish the law. Rom. iii. 81. 
The law does not abolish, but it establishes the law ; 
hence it is to be preached, and its great things must 
not be strange to us. Jesus Christ has taken our 
law-place, and borne its penalty for us. Because he 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 57 

died, we may live. " If Christ be not the substitute, 
he is nothing to the sinner. If he did not die as the 
sin-bearer, he has died in vain. Let us not be de- 
ceived on this point, nor misled by those who, 
when they announce Christ as the deliverer, think 
they have preached the Gospel. If I throw a rope 
to a drowning man, I am a deliverer. But is Christ 
no more than that? If I cast myself into the sea, 
and risk my life to save another, I am a deliverer. 
But is Christ no more? Did he but risk his life? 
The very essence of Christ's deliverance is the sub- 
stitution of himself for us, his life for ours. He 
shed his blood for us. Believing what God has 
testified concerning this blood, we become one with 
Jesus in his death ; and thus we are counted in law, 
and treated by God as men who have paid the 
whole penalty, and so been washed from their sins 
in his blood. Though above law in himself, Christ 
was made under the law for us, and by the vicarious 
law-keeping of his spotless life, as well as by the 
endurance unto death of that law's awful penalties, 
we are redeemed from the curse of the law.' He 
is our Substitute. He obeyed the law for us; he 
endured the curse for us ; obeyed and died in our 
stead ; and thus he delivered us from the wrath to , 
come. 1 Thess. i. 10. 

The Ceremonial JLaw, 

Having dwelt thus long on the moral law, a few 
words may now be said of the ceremonial law. I 



58 OUR PASSOVER. 

have written to him the great things of my law — of 
the ceremonial law. This law was a system of 
positive precepts, about the external worship of 
God in the Old Testament church; chiefly designed 
to typify Christ, as then to come, and to lead them 
to the knowledge of the way of salvation through 
him. Of this law the principal ceremonies were 
such as respected sacred persons, places, and things. 
A few words of each : — 

Sacred Persons. * 

The chief sacred person among the Jews was the 
high priest. He was a type of Christ in being con- 
secrated with a plentiful effusion of the holy anointing 
oil, typifying the unmeasurable communication of 
the Spirit unto Christ ; and his bearing the names 
of the children of Israel upon his shoulder and in 
the breastplate, signifying that Christ is the repre- 
sentative and substitute of. all his spiritual seed, and 
hath their concerns continually at heart. And as 
the high priest offered sacrifices, so did Christ offer 
himself a sacrifice ; as the high priest entered the 
holy of holies and burned incense there, so. Christ 
has entered heaven, where he ever liveth to make 
» intercession for us. For Christ is not entered into 
the holy places made with hands, which are the 
figures of the true ; but into heaven itself, now to 
appear in the presence of Grod for us : nor yet that 
he should offer himself often, as the high priest 
entereth into the holy place every year with blood 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 59 

of others : for then must he often have suffered 
since the foundation of the world : but now once in 
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away 
sin by the sacrifice of himself. Heb. ix. 6-12, 24— 
28. Because the Jews had a high priest, some think 
the Christian church should have diocesan bishops ; 
but Jesus Christ is our great high priest ; he is the 
great Shepherd and Bishop of souls, who was typi- 
fied by the high priest, and the substance being 
come, we no longer need the shadow. If, because 
the Jews had a high priest, we should have a corres- 
ponding office in the Christian church, then, it is 
plain, we should have a pope ; for the Jews had but 
one high priest at once, and how this can justify a 
great many diocesans, I cannot see ! The truth is, 
Jesus Christ is the Bishop and Head of the Chris- 
tian church ; and the high priest among the Jews 
was but a type of him ; and now the antitype is 
come, why do we need the type or the shadow ? We 
do not. We should bless God for the substance ; 
and Jesus Christ being our high priest, we should 
avail ourselves of his atonement, and so make our 
peace with God. Let us not esteem this great thing 
of the ceremonial law a strange thing, for how shall 
we escape if we neglect so great salvation ? Heb. 
ii. 3. We have a great high priest that is passed 
into the heavens. Heb. iv. 14. But this man, be- 
cause he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable 
priesthood. * * * * For such a high priest 
became us. Heb. vii. 23-28. And as it is ap- 



60 OUR PASSOVER. 

pointed unto men once to die, but after this the 
judgment. So Christ was once offered to bear the 
sins of many ; and unto them that look for him shall 
he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. 
Heb. ix. 24-28, 

Sacred Places. 

The sacred places of the ceremonial law were the 
tabernacle and temple. No description of them 
need be here given. Amongst other things, they 
both of them typified the human nature of Christ, 
which was assumed into union with his divine nature. 
Thus he said, in reference to his body, Destroy this 
temple, and in three days I will raise it up. In 
these sacred places, the Jews had constantly before 
them, types or emblems of the human nature of 
Jesus Christ who w T as to come — silent but express- 
ive prophecies of the incarnation of the Son of 
God — and yet how often they despised these great 
things of the law, and counted them as strange 
things, turning away after idols ; and when the Son 
of God became incarnate, taking our nature upon 
him — made in the likeness of sinful flesh — they 
despised and rejected him and put him to the shame- 
ful death of the cross ! Beware of their unhappy 
example, and despise not the Lord of life ! He 
assumed our nature for our sakes : he was God 
manifest in the flesh for our redemption ; and to 
reject him is to die in sin. For what the law could 
not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God 
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 61 

and for sin — or, by a sacrifice for sin — condemned 
sin in the flesh : that the righteousness of the law 
might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, 
but after the Spirit. Rom. viii. 3, 4. 

Sacred Tilings* 

The sacred things of the ceremonial law were 
several. One of these was the laver, placed in the 
outward court of the tabernacle and temple. It was 
a brazen vessel for holding water, maSe of looking- 
glasses, or polished pieces of brass, given by the 
women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle 
of the congregation, as recorded in the 38th chapter 
of Exodus. It stood between the. tabernacle of the 
congregation, or holy place, and the altar, that 
Aaron and his sons might wash their hands and 
their feet thereat, when they went into the taberna- 
cle, or when they came near to the altar to minister, 
under no less penalty than death ; when they went 
unto the altar, or into the tabernacle, or holy place, 
they were to wash or 'die ; and this was to point out 
the absolute necessity of the application of the blood 
and Spirit of Christ unto the soul, as that without 
which there can be no escaping of eternal death. 
We must experience the washing of regeneration 
and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, or perish. 
Ye must be born again. They who are in the flesh, 
unrenewed, cannot please God. Regeneration is 
necessary. We must be sanctified as well as justi- 
fied. Bath the?e are in Jesus Christ. They are the 

6 



62 OUR PASSOVER. 

purchase of his blood, and they coine to all to whom 
that blood is applied by the Holy Spirit ; for he of 
God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and 
sanctification, and redemption. 1 Cor. i. 26-31, 

Sacrifices* 

There were also sacrifices. These were to be of 
such clean beasts and fowls as God appointed for 
the purpose. They were to be without blemish, 
which signified the spotless holiness of the human 
nature of Christ, which was sacrificed for us. The 
sins of the offerers were to be typically laid upon 
the head of the sacrifice, which signified the laying 
of the sins of his people upon Christ and his expiat- 
ing them by his death. The sacrifice must be slain 
by the shedding of its blood, which taught that 
Christ should shed his blood for many for the re- 
mission of sins, for without shedding of blood there 
is no remission. Heb. ix. 22. The sacrifice was 
to be consumed wholly or in part with fire upon the 
altar, which signified that the 'whole of that infinite 
wrath, whi€h was due to sinners, and would have 
been consuming them for ever, was poured out upon 
the glorious surety, Jesus Christ, and was endured 
by him. The altar upon which the sacrifices 
were offered and consumed, was the brazen altar, 
or altar of burnt-offering; and as the altar sanc- 
tifieth the gift, so this altar typified the divine 
nature of Christ as giving infinite worth and value 
to the sacrifice of the human nature, because of the 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 63 

personal union of the human nature with the divine. 
The sacrifices themselves were types of the human 
nature of Christ, for it was that nature which was 
sacrificed, suffered, and died; the altar on which the 
sacrifices were offered, was a type of the divine na- 
ture of Christ, as it was that which sustained his 
human nature and gave infinite value to his sacrifice. 
Now the fire on the Jewish altar of burnt-offering 
was to fee kept ever burning; and this was to show 
that it was not possible that the blood of bulls and 
of goats should take away sin, and therefore to teach 
the people, under that dispensation, to look to the 
atoning blood of the Messiah, as that only which 
could quench the flame of divine wrath against sin, 
and be an offering and sacrifice to God, for a sweet- 
smelling isavour, in which he might eternally rest. 
Thus the Jews were taught that God is a consuming 
fire, one who will by no means clear the guilty with- 
out a satisfaction of his justice. But that satisfac- 
tion has been made. The fire of divine wrath, in 
the case of every believer, is now quenched by the 
blood of Christ. His blood satisfies justice and 
cleanses from sin. This he did once when he offered 
up himself. Heb. vii. 27. For by one offering he 
hath perfected for ever them that are" sanctified. 
x. 10-17. Believe in him, that you may be saved ! 

" His blood can make the foulest clean ; 
His blood availed for me !" 



64 OUR PASSOVER. 



Types and Shadoivs, 

Thus we find three sacred things in the outer 
court, the laver, the sacrifices, and the altar on which 
they were offered. Now if we enter the first part 
of the tabernacle, or temple, we shall find three sa- 
cred things there also. One ^as the golden candle- 
stick, which taught that all true spiritual light is 
conveyed unto the church only from Christ; and 
that, as the branches were supplied with oil from 
the body of the candlestick, so all the members are 
supplied out of the fulness of Christ, for God giveth 
not the Spirit by measure unto him. Another was 
the table of shew-bread, which meant that in Christ, 
who is the bread of life, there is food continually for 
starving sinners, and that we can never come amiss, 
at any time, to him for supply, because in him 
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 
The other was the altar of incense, and the incense 
which was continually burnt upon this altar, every 
morning and evening, (after the sacrifices were of- 
fered without upon the altar of burnt-offering,) 
typified the prevalent intercession of Christ, founded 
upon his meritorious oblation. He ever liveth to 
make intercession. Heb. vii. 25. 

As to the sacred things of the holy of holies, 
the Apostle says, The holiest of all had the golden 
censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round 
about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that 
had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. * 65 

tables of the covenant ; and over it the cherubim of 
glory, shadowing the mercy-seat. Heb. ix. 1-10. 
As to the golden censer, it was not always in the 
holy of holies, but remained there only while 
the high priest continued within the vail, sprinkling 
the blood of the sin-offering upon the mercy-seat 
and before it, on the great day of atonement, once 
a year. The ark of the covenant was a small box 
or chest, the lid or cover of which was called the 
mercy-seat. The golden pot that had manna was 
not put into the ark, but laid up before it, and sig- 
nified the inexhaustible provision of all the spiritual 
blessings laid up in Christ for the members of his 
mystical body, the church. Aaron's rod was also 
laid up before the ark, and signified the fixed choice 
that the Father made of Christ to an unchangeable 
priesthood. The tables of the covenant were the 
two tables of stone on which the ten commandments 
were written. These were put into the ark to sig- 
nify that the law, which was broken by the first 
Adam, was put up as fulfilled in the second Adam, 
that is, Christ, that there might be no condemnation 
to them which are in Christ Jesus. Rom. viii. 1-4. 
These tables were called tables of the covenant, and 
the ark in which they were put was called the ark 
of the covenant, because the ten commandments, 
written on these tables, were the matter of the cove- 
nant of works made with Adam, as the head of his 
posterity, and the fulfilment of them, both in point 
of doing and suffering, was the condition of the 

6 * 



68 * OUR PASSOVER. 

covenant of grace, made with Christ, as the Head 
and Representative of his spiritual seed ; and they 
were also the basis of the Jewish national covenant 
made and ratified at Sinai, as may be seen in Ex. 
xxiv. 3-8, and Heb. ix. 18-22. The lid or cover- 
ing 6f the ark was called the mercy-seat, to intimate 
that God is propitious and merciful to sinners, only 
through the meritorious satisfaction of Christ. And 
that the mercy-seat was a covering to the tables of 
the covenant, taught that the broken law was so 
honoured and so hid or covered by the glorious 
Surety, who answered all its demands, both as to 
precept and penalty, that it could accuse none be- 
fore God, who had fled for refuge to lay hold upon 
the hope set before them, even Jesus Christ. Over 
the mercy-seat were the cherubim, to represent the 
ministry and service of the holy angels to Christ 
and his church. They looked one to another and 
toward the mercy-seat; and their looking one to 
another signified their perfect harmony in serving 
the interests of Christ's kingdom ; and their looking 
toward the mercy-seat signified their desire to dive 
with the most profound veneration and wonder into 
the adorable mystery of redeeming love : these things 
the angels desire to look into. 

Now into the holy of holies, none might enter but 
the high priest alone, without any to attend or assist 
him — and that after the most solemn sacrifices — Ex. 
xxx. 10; Lev. xvi. 1-34; Heb. ix. 7-25; and herein 
he was an eminent type of Christ, who had the wh6le 



THE GREAT THINGS OF THE LAW. 67 

work of redemption laid upon his shoulder, and of 
the people there was none with him. And even the 
high priest might enter only once every year, that 
is, on the great day of atonement, a solemn anniver- 
sary fast under the law. And when he entered, he 
was expressly required to carry along with him the 
blood of the sacrifice, slain without the tabernacle, 
at the altar' of burnt-offering, and the golden censer 
full of burning incense ; without both of which he 
might by no means enter within the most holy place. 
And this not only showed the necessity of an atone- 
ment, but also typified the perpetual efficacy of the 
blood of Christ in heaven for all the blessings and 
benefits for which it was shed on earth. /For Christ 
is not entered into the holy places made with hands, 
which are the figures of the true ; but into heaven 
itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. 
Heb. ix. 24-26 ; vii. 19-28. 

Great Tilings Significant* 

Such are some of the great things of the ceremo- 
nial law which God wrote to Israel. What added 
to their greatness and rendered them significant and 
important, was their constant reference to the great 
things of the gospel. Gal.- iii. 8 ; Heb. iv. 2. Yet 
the Jews counted them as a strange thing, forsook 
them, despised them, and gave themselves up to the 
service of idols. God's anger was kindled against 
them, and he sent their enemies upon them for their 
chastisement. And when Jesus Christ, the promised 



68 OUR PASSOVER. 

Messiah, the substance of all these shadows, came, 
his own received him not ; they rejected and crucified 
their Redeemer, and invoked upon themselves and 
their children the vengeance of his blood. And it 
came — terrible in its fury — the nation was scattered, 
and for these 1800 years the anger of God has burned 
against them because they counted the great things 
of the law a strange thing. The law should have 
prepared them for the coming of Christ ; but when 
he came, everything about him, and everything he 
said and did, either was strange to them, or they made 
strange of it. They knew not the things which were 
for their peace, and they were hid from their eyes ! 
unhappy people ! So indebted to God, and yet 
so ungrateful ! Having the way of life so clearly 
pointed out, yet perishing in their sins ! What a 
solemn warning to all who read their history or hear 
their mournful story ! He that despised Moses' law, 
died without mercy under two or three witnesses : of 
how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be 
thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son 
of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, 
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and 
hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace ? Heb. x. 
26-29. 

Written to us. 

But, reader, has God written nothing to us ? Has 
he not written to us the great things of his law, 
taking the word law in its widest sense, as including 
the whole of divine revelation ? Has he not given 



THE GREAT THINGS OE THE LAW. 69 

to us his word, revealed to us his will ? And are 
there not great things here, things great and won- 
derful ? And shall we make strange of them, or 
make ourselves strangers to them ? Is this wise ? 
Is it safe ? Does it not become us to study these 
great 'things and become familiar with them ? We 
are taught that we are sinners ; that there is an 
atonement for sin, sufficient, and freely offered to 
us ; that we must be justified by faith in Christ, 
sanctified by the Spirit, and adopted into the family 
of God ; that there shall be a resurrection of the 
dead, and eternal rewards and punishments. These 
great things and others God has written to us, and 
if we count them as. a strange thing, and seek not an 
interest in Jesu§ Christ, we shall be cast off as were 
the Jews, yea, we shall perish for ever ! Come, then, 
to the Lord Jesus ! In him see fulfilled all the great 
things of the law, in him put your trust, and on his 
sacrifice rely for acceptance with God and for eternal 
life ! 'For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for 
us : therefore let us keep the feast, not with old 
leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wicked- 
ness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and 
truth. 1 Cor. ^ 6-8. 



Hymns, 

" And see, the blest Redeemer comes, 
The eternal Son appears, 
And at the appointed time assumes 
The body God prepares. 



70 OUB PASSOVER. 

u His Father's honour touched his heart, 
He pitied sinners' cries, 
And to fulfil a Saviour's part, 
Was made a sacrifice. 

" No blood of beasts on altars shed 
Could wash the conscience clean ; 
But the rich sacrifice he paid, 
Atones for all our sin." 



" Once, in the circuit of a year, 
With blood, but not his own, 
Aaron within the veil appears, 
Before the golden throne. 

"But Christ, by his own powerful blood, 
Ascends above the skies ,• 
And, in the presence of our God, 
Shows his own sacrifice." - 



" Dost thou look back upon a life of sinning ? 
Forward, and tremble for thy future lot ? 
There's One who sees the end from the beginning, 
Thy tear of penitence is unforgot. 
God knows it all ! 

" Then go to God ! Pour out your heart before him ! 
There is no grief your Father cannot feel. 
And let your grateful songs of praise adore him — 
To save, forgive, and every wound to heal. 

God knows it all — God knows it all!" 



FOKOUVENESS WITH GOD. 71 



III. 
FORGIVENESS WITS GOD. 

If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, Lord, who shall stand? 
But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. — Ps. 
cxxx. 3, 4. 

Explanations, 

Job puts an important question when he asks, 
How should man be just with God ? And Micah 
adds to its interest and importance when he says, 
Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow 
myself before the high God? Shall I come before 
him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old ? 
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or 
with ten thousands of rivers of oil ? Shall I give 
my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my 
body for the sin of my soul ? But how can these 
justify us before God ? The question remains, How 
can sinners be accounted just ? How be treated as 
innocent ? If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, 
0* Lord, who shall stand ? -But — and here is our 
hope — there is forgiveness with thee, that thou 
mayest be feared. There is forgiveness, because 
Christ our passover is sacrificed for us and the great 
things of the law are fulfilled in him ; yea, he has 



72 OUE PASSOVEK. 

answered the demands of the law for us, and hence 
we may be just in him. 

To mark iniquities is to keep a strict account of 
them and to reckon with the transgressor for them 
according to God's holy law and on the principles 
of strict justice ; to reckon with the transgressor him- 
self, and not with a surety or substitute. Should 
God thus mark iniquities, who, among the sons of 
men, could stand ? "If thou shouldest mark iniqui- 
ties, that is, so consider and observe them as to 
reserve them for punishment and vengeance. * * 
* * In God's marking sin according to the tenor 
of the law, the case is the same with all classes of 
sinners. * * * * In a sin-perplexed soul, 
God's marking sin according to the tenor of the law, 
fills the soul with dread and terror. * * * * 
The marking here intended, implies animadversion, 
and punishment according to the tenor of the law. 
Not only the sentence of the law, but a will of pun- 
ishing according to it, is * included in it. If, saith 
the Psalmist, thou, the great and dreadful God, who 
art extolled by thy glorious name Jah, shouldest 
take notice of iniquities, so as to recompense sinners 
that come unto thee according to the severity of thy 
holy law, what then ? It is answered by the propo- 
sal, Who can stand ? that is, none can stand No 
man, not one in the world, can stand or abide -the 
trial. Every one, on this supposition, must perish, 
and that eternally. * * * * Who can stand? 
There is a deep insinuation of'a dreadful ruin, as to 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 73 

all with whom God shall so deal as to mark their 
iniquities. — Ps. i. 5." 

Who can Stand? 

Who can stand ? To stand is to be justified, or 
acquitted. The question of the Psalmist implies that 
if God were to reckon with men, according to law, 
on the ground of merit or demerit, none could stand 
the trial and be justified or acquitted. All would be 
found guilty and be condemned. But he proceeds 
to say, There is forgiveness with God, that e he may 
be feared, implying that there is a method of reckon- 
ing with God, by which it is possible for those who 
avail themselves of it, to stand, be acquitted, and 
justified — possible for God to be just, and yet justify 
them that believe. " To stand, is to stand one's 
ground, maintain one's innocence, and perhaps in 
this case, to endure one's sentence. * * * * 
Since none can stand, our only hope is in free for- 
giveness — the forgiveness that we need, the only for- 
giveness that is available or attainable.' " There is 
forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 
To fear the Lord is an expression comprehensive of 
his whole worship and all our duty. To this I am 
encouraged, saith the Psalmist, in my depths, because 
there is forgiveness with thee. I will abide in all 
duties, in all the ways of thy worship, wherein thou 
mayest be found.' "Fear or godly reverence is 
represented as one fruit and evidence of pardoned 



5 J 

sm. \ 



74 OUR PASSOVER. 



W7iat is here Taught, 

Some profitable lessons are here taught us. Among 
them are these. No one can stand acquitted, or be 
accepted as just, on the ground of his own merit or 
performances, when God reckoneth with him ; hence 
all need forgiveness ; there is forgiveness with God ; 
and God should be feared, he should be reverenced 
and served with filial affection, because there is for- 
giveness with him. These lessons we should re- 
member, on them we should meditate. 

The First JLesspn, 

The first lesson to be learned by us from the words 
of the Psalmist is, that no one can stand acquitted 
by the law of God, or be accepted and justified on 
the ground of his own merit or performances, when 
God reckoneth with him. If thou, Lord,- shouldest 
mark iniquity, Lord, who shall stand ? Not one ! 

What the Scriptures Teach, 

Not one! So the Scriptures teach. Thus Job 
says, If he will contend with him, he cannot answer 
him one of a thousand. What then shall I do when 
God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I 
answer him? Isaiah says, speaking as well of man's 
moral disease as of the corruption and misery of the 
Jewish state, The whole head is sick, and the whole 
heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto 
the head, there is no soundness in it ; but wounds, 



> FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 75 

and bruises, and putrifying sores; they have not 
been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with 
ointment. And Paul, in Romans, quoting from 
several scriptures, says, There is none righteous, no, 
not one : there is none that understandeth, there is 
none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out 
of the way, they are together become unprofitable; 
there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their 
throat is an open sepulchre ; with their tongues they 
have used deceit ; the poison of asps is under their 
lips : whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness : 
their feet are swift to shed blood : destruction and 
misery are in their ways : and the way of peace have 
they not known : there is no fear of God before their 
eyes. Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall 
no flesh be justified in his sight. Rom. iii. 9-20. 
None can stand. Not one ! 

What Men Confess. 

No, not one! So the best men confess. Says 
Job, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear ; 
but now mine eyes seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor 
myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Moses, under 
a deep sense of his unworthiness, exclaims, Behold, 
I am of uncircumcised lips. And Isaiah, when fa- 
voured with a heavenly vision, said, Woe is me, for I 
am undone ; because I am a man of unclean lips, and 
I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips ; for 
mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 
Paul declares, For I know that in me, that is, in my 



76 OUR PASSOVER. 

flesh, dwelleth no good thing; and he exclaims, in 
view of his unworthiness, wretched man that I 
am ! The holiest men in all ages have been most 
sensible of their depravity. They have had the 
clearest views of the desperate wickedness of their 
own hearts, and the entire demerit of their whole 
lives. The nearer the saints have approximated the 
moral image of their Maker, the more conscious 
have they been of their moral deformity ; the nearer 
they have advanced towards perfection, the more 
sensible have they been of their imperfections. Like 
Paul, they have esteemed themselves less than the 
least of all saints ; renounced all self-dependence, 
and relinquished for ever all hope of justification on 
the ground of their own merit or performances. 
They see nothing in themselves for which they can 
hope for divine acceptance. - With David they ex- 
claim, If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, 
Lord, who shall stand ? Not one ! 

Reason, 

No ; not one ! Reason corroborates and confirms 
the Scripture and the confessions of the best men. 
The light of nature teaches us something of the 
power, wisdom, and goodness of God. Reason in 
fers that a being possessed of infinite wisdom, good- 
ness, and power, would not leave his works imper- 
fect ; he would not create a world filled, as this is, 
with natural and moral evil ; natural and moral evil 
would have, originally, no place in the works of a 



• 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 77 

Being possessing infinite wisdom, goodness, and 
power. These perfections God evidently possesses, 
if at all, in an infinite degree. Of course, all the 
works issuing from his hands must be very good. 
But how do we see them now? Both natural and 
moral evil abound. Man, the master-piece of divine 
workmanship, is subject to evils numberless and un- 
speakable. And why ? Because he is not as God 
made him! Reason, as well as revelation, teaches 
us that man is fallen ! He is not as he once was : 
he is a sinner ; he is fallen ! And I ask, how can 
a fallen being, as man evidently is, stand acquitted, 
on the ground of his own performances, when God 
reckoneth with him ? The very fact that he is fallen 
and depraved, precludes the idea of justification on 
the score of merit. If fallen, as experience, and 
observation, and Scripture, and reason prove, he is 
destitute of merit ; he has nothing but his sinfulness 
and misery to commend him to God, and cannot 
stand when God marks iniquity against him, and 
deals with him according to the tenor of his law. 
That law demands constant, perpetual, and perfect 
obedience. A single failure exposes to its curse. 
No subsequent obedience can atone for a single past 
transgression; and as all have transgressed, all are 
condemned; and who then can stand? Not one! 

The Second Lesson. 

No ; not one ! Hence all need forgiveness. This 
follows, of course. If all are sinners and condemned ; 

7 * 



78 OUR PASSOVER. 

if no one can stand acquitted by the law of God, on 
the ground of his own merit or works, when God 
reckoneth with him ; then, of course, all need par- 
don. There must be some way of forgiveness de- 
vised, some way of justification other than by 
works, or all are lost ! Every one ! 

The Bible. 

All must be lost! Every one! So the Scriptures 
teach. For all have sinned, and come short of the 
glory of God; of course, all need pardon and justifi- 
cation, and without it, they must perish. And if 
they cannot be pardoned and justified on the ground 
of works, how can this be accomplished ? How can 
they be forgiven ? The following verses teach us : 
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God ; 
being justified freely — not by works, not by any- 
thing done by us, nor for anything done in us — 
freely by his grace, through the redemption that is 
in Christ Jesus : whom God hath set forth, or fore- 
ordained, as the margin reads, to be a propitiation 
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteous- 
ness for the remission of sins that are past, through 
the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this 
time, his righteousness : that he might be just, and 
the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. How 
much stress is, in the Scriptures, laid upon the for- 
giveness of sins as essential to the peace and happi- 
ness of man ! It is essential to his peace with God 
and to peace in his own heart. It is necessary to 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 79 

his life as well as to his peace. He needs forgive- 
ness that he may glorify God and enjoy him, that 
he may be happy and useful, that he may have 
hope, peace, and joy. Thus is it written, There is 
no peace to the wicked; and, let the wicked forsake 
his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and 
let him return unto the Lord, and he will have 
mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abund- 
antly pardon. And how frequently is forgiveness 
promised as an unspeakable blessing! Thus, — I, 
even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions 
for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. 
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgres- 
sions, and as a cloud, thy sins; return unto me, for 
I have redeemed thee. Thus what man needs is the 
richest blessing which God can bestow, for it in- 
cludes, or brings with it, all others ; and without the 
blessing of forgiveness, he is and must be miserable, 
for he is a sinner, and sin is the parent of misery. 

All need forgiveness; all, every one! 

i 

Confessions. 

Yes, all need forgiveness; all, every one! All 
men confess their need of pardon. So general is 
the consciousness of guilt and ill-desert, and the ex- 
pression, in some way, of the desire of forgiveness, 
that it may be termed an universal sentiment. It is 
almost as widely diffused as is the human race. All 
men, with few and rare exceptions, are sensible of 
their fallen condition ; all desire pardon ; and in some 



80 our, PASSOVER. 

way, all corxfess their need of forgiveness. The 
sacrifices and penances, the self-inflicted tortures 
and self-immolations of the heathen, are but so 
many confessions directly in point. The same may 
be said of Catholic rites and Mohammedan super- 
stitions. And many of the religious forms and ex- 
ternal moralities and generous acts of nominal 
Christendom spring from the same source. And 
the cry of the penitent is for mercy and pardon. 
The publican prayed, God be merciful to me a sin- 
ner ! Every prayer is a confession of guilt, and a 
plea for the remission of sins. The Saviour him- 
self has taught us to pray, Father, forgive us our 
debts — our sins — as we forgive our debtors. The 
holiest pray for pardon ; they ask for forgiveness ; 
they plead not their merits before God, for they 
have none to plead; they say, not by works of 
righteousness which we have done, but according to 
his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regenera- 
tion, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. All being 
sinners, all need forgiveness. If the best men con- 
fess their need of forgiveness, the awakened sinner 
feels it with oppressive weight. He is convinced 
of his sins by the Spirit of God, and cries, 
wretched man that I am ! He is burdened with a 
sense of his unworthiness, and cries, What must I 
do to be saved? Can I be forgiven? How can 
this burden be taken from my heart? Is there for- 
giveness with God? Is there forgiveness for me? 
Yes, all need forgiveness, many confess it, but 



m 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 81 

few feel it as they should. It is not until convinced 
of sin by the Holy Spirit of God that men truly feel 
their need of being forgiven. But when the Spirit 
brings the truth home to their hearts and convinces 
them of their sin and misery, then they begin to 
feel as before they never felt, that they must be for- 
given or perish. Sin then appears an infinite evil. 
Good deeds they have none. They blush to think 
of merit. Sin is their burden. They loathe and 
abhor themselves on account of sin ; and they feel 
and confess that it would be just in God to leave 
them to perish for ever — to mark their iniquities 
and condemn them to eternal death. They cannot 
stand before him. Their sins are not only their 
burden, but their grief and their abhorrence ; and 
crushed beneath the mighty load, sad, sorrowful, re- 
penting, they cry, What must we do ? How can we 
be forgiven ? How delivered from sin ? Is there 
forgiveness with God ? Thus a sense of sin pre- 
pared Adam for the promise of the woman's seed : 
and a sense of sin prepares men for the announce- 
ment of mercy through Jesus Christ. Not till we 
feel lost by sin are we ready to be saved by faith in 
the Son of God. 

The Third JLesson, 

But whether we feel it or not, we are sinners, and 
need forgiveness. Then is there forgiveness ? What 
question can be more important for us as sinners ? 
Is there forgiveness ? Yes, there is forgiveness witji 



82 OUR PASSOVER. 

* 

God. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, 
Lord, who shall stand ? But there is forgiveness with 
thee. 

Forgiveness with GoUt* 

Forgiveness with God ! This is a glorious truth ! 
Nothing of this is known from the light of nature. 
The volume of nature, with all its vastness, sub- 
limity, and beauty, speaks not a word of forgiveness. 
It spea^ks of the depravity of man, but leaves us all 
in darkness respecting a way of recovery from sin 
and ruin. It teaches us the need of forgiveness ; it 
teaches the impossibility of acquittal on the ground 
of works or merit ; but in all its contents, it has not 
a line like this, There is forgiveness with 
God ! The Scriptures alone contain this blessed 
intimation; and it is an intimation so far above 
the teachings of reason, that it would scarcely 
be creditable if the Bible did not reveal it. We 
should bless God for this truth, so intimately 
connected^ with our necessities as sinners ; and if for 
no other reason, we should love the Bible because it 
says there is -forgiveness with God. Hence it is that 
the awakened begin to search the Scriptures as soon 
as they begin to pray and to ask for the way of life. 
The Bible alone can solve their doubts and relieve 
their perplexities ; and it can do this because it alone 
reveals the way of salvation — forgiveness with God I 

The light of nature does not, but the Bible does, 
reveal the glorious and astonishing truth, that there 
is forgiveness with God— forgiveness even for the 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 83 

chief of sinners— forgiveness with him that he may 
be feared, and plenteous redemption that he may be 
sought unto. It sets Jehovah before us as the Lord, 
the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, 
and abundant in goodness and truth ; keeping mercy 
for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, 
and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, 
without a satisfaction to his justice, or if they con- 
tinue impenitent and unbelieving, for he is just. 
And yet the mercy of the Lord enclureth for ever. 
And says Daniel, To the Lord our God belong 
mercies and forgivenesses, though we have sinned 
against him. There is forgiveness with God. 

The Way of Forgiveness* 

Forgiveness ! But it would be of comparatively 
little moment for us to know that there is forgiveness 
with God, if we were left in ignorance of the way 
in which the benefit may be secured. Let the 
mariner on the stormy deep be informed that there 
is safety in port, and what would that avail 
him, had he no compass by which to direct his 
tempest-tossed bark into the desired haven ? Tell 
the burdened sinner there is forgiveness with God, 
and what will that avail, if you tell him not how he 
may approach Jehovah acceptably and find pardon 
and peace ? The Bible does not leave us in dark- 
ness here. Light shines from the sacred page on the 
sinner's pathway, directing him to the cross of 
Christ. The Bible points out the way of forgive- 



84 , OUR PASSOVER. 

ness. It tells us how iniquities may be blotted out, 
and the sinner stand acquitted and justified and ac- 
cepted and saved. Its teachings here are divine. 
No other book teaches like this. The reckoning 
here revealed is Crod's own arithmetic — reckoning 
with a substitute in the sinner's stead. The method 
of pardon ' and salvation here revealed is above 
human invention ; it came from God : he is its Author. 
This mode of reckoning is all his own. The plan 
of salvation developed in the Scriptures is so unlike 
every other, so far transcending human genius, so 
honouring to God and so abasing to man — so wise, 
so good, so unique — that the Book which contains it 
must have been written by inspiration of the Holy 
Ghost % Were there no other argument for the in- 
spiration of the Scriptures, this alone is sufficient to 
establish their claim to divine inspiration. They 
came from God. 

The Scriptures not only teach us the possibility 
of forgiveness, they also point out the way. It is 
by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ pur 
passover, the Lamb slain. They reveal a peculiar 
method of reckoning — God's method — reckoning 
with a Surety or Substitute, marking the iniquities 
of the sinner against the Substitute, or placing them 
to his account, he bearing the penalty, and the sin- 
ner being acquitted, forgiven, justified, and accepted, 
on the exercise of faith in him. The Surety paying 
the debt by the sacrifice of himself; and all who by 
faith avail themselves of the sacrifice thus made are 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 85 

forgiven. The Surety makes atonement and pays 
the debt, and all who believe in him, are, on the 
exercise of faith — their acceptance of Jesus Christ 
as their Saviour — acquitted and stand justified be- 
fore God. So that, being justified by faith, we have 
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Thus there is forgiveness with God. 

What Christ has done. 

But to be more particular. Consider what has 
been done to open the way for the forgiveness of 
sins and to secure this blessing to all them that be- 
lieve. Jesus' Christ took the sinner's place, his 
law-place, and was made a curse for him ; he suffered 
for him and in his stead, and thus atoned for his 
sins. By his obedience, sufferings, and death, he 
has made an atonement for his sins, and brought in 
an everlasting righteousness for his justification ; and 
now ascended, he ever liveth to intercede. Thus it 
is written, Christ suffered for us. He died for the 
ungodly. He was made a curse for us ; who, his 
own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree. 
He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of 
himself. On him was laid the iniquity of us all. 
He who knew no sin was made to be sin- for us, a 
sin-offering — the bearer of our sins — that we might 
be made the righteousness of God in him. He is 
the propitiation for our sins. He is offered to men 
in the gospel as their Saviour. When they believe 
— receive and rest upon him — they are forgiven and 

8 



86 OUR PASSOVER. 

accounted righteous. They are not only acquitted 
and forgiven, but they are treated as innocent, as if 
the righteousness of Christ were theirs. This is the 
way God forgives; thus there is forgiveness with 
God. Christ has died ; and the sinner has but to 
believe in Jesus Christ, and he is forgiven, justified, 
saved: — and to believe in Christ is to credit the 
testimony of God concerning him and to receive 
and rest upon him alone for salvation ; it is to trust 
in Christ for pardon and eternal life. Now the 
righteousness of God without the law is manifested, 
even the righteousness of God which is by faith of 
Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that be- 
lieve. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified 
by faith without the deeds of the law. Rom. iii. 21-28. 

How God Forgives . 

We should ever remember that God forgives only 
through Jesus Christ. It is because of his atone- 
ment, because he is the propitiation for our sins, 
that God can be just and yet justify him which be- 
lieveth in Jesus. Hence it is that forgiveness is so 
frequently spoken of in connection with the name, 
office, and work of Christ the Mediator, and the 
shedding of his blood. Repentance and remission 
of sins are preached in his name. Luke xxiv. 47. 
There is salvation in no other. Him hath God ex- 
alted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Sa- 
viour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgive- 
ness of sin. Acts v. 31. Through him is preached 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 87 

the forgiveness of sins. Acts xiii. 38. In whom we 
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness 
of sins, according to the riches of his grace. His 
blood cleanseth from all sin; and without shedding 
of blood is no remission. Hence the atoning blood 
of Christ is the only ground of hope. There is for- 
giveness with God, but it is only through Jesus 
Christ, and because he has died and now lives. He 
is the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh 
unto the Father but by him. Reject him, and there 
is no pardon, no hope. Reject him, and you are 
lost. Receive him, and you are safe. Receive IrirQ, 
and pardon and eternal life are yours. Kiss the 
Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish! 

" His is the name that calms our fears, 
That bids our sorrows cease; 
'Tis music in the sinner's ears, 
'Tis life, and health, and peace." 

Yea, he is our peace, having destroyed the enmity 
by the blood of his cross, and reconciled us to God 
by his death. 

Invitations and Hntreaties* 

Burdened sinner, Jesus has died! He says to 
you, Come unto me ! Go to him with "a broken and 
contrite heart. Receive him. Give yourself to him, 
saying : 

" Here, Lord, I give myself away, 
'Tis all that I can do !" 

And this is all he requires. This is the way to peace, 



88 OUR PASSOVER. 

the way of salvation. Believe in Jesus; cast your 
burden on him, and you shall be forgiven and saved. 
Convinced of your sins and penitent, go to Jesus 
Christ, give yourself to him, and then live to his 
glory. This is the evidence you are to give that 
you ^do truly close in with the offered mercy — a life 
of obedience to Jesus Christ. Believing in him is 
the way of life ; obeying him is the evidence you are 
to give to the world that you do believe. As a be- 
lieving sinner, you shall be forgiven ; as a forgiven 
sinner, you must fear God and keep his command- 
ments, for there is forgiveness with him, that he may 
be feared, feared reverently and obediently, for that 
fear which is the offspring of the hope of pardon, is 
the bosom companion of love to God and man. 

Forgiveness! Then there is hope! Burdened, 
weary, and heavy-laden sinner, look up! Behold 
the Lamb of God! He came to take away your 
sins; he can give you rest. Believe in him, and 
you shall have peace. How many have found him 
precious to their souls ! They have come to him in 
their distress, and have gone on their way rejoicing. 
They have found there is forgiveness with God, and 
they have cried with the spirit of children, My 
Father, thou art the guide of my youth ! Yes, there 
is forgiveness with God through Jesus Christ ; and 
if you feel your sins to be a burden, you may hope 
in his mercy. 

The Fourth Wesson. 

There is further instruction here. We are also 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. . 89 

taught the design and result of the scheme of mercy 
which infinite wisdom and goodness devised for the 
pardon and restoration of fallen man: there is for- 
giveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared — to 
the intent thou mayest be feared, for this very pur- 
pose. If there were no hope of forgiveness, there 
could be no pity in this world, there could be no 
genuine repentance, no filial obedience, no reveren- 
tial worship of God. All would be blank despair, 
hardened sinfulness and bitter remorse. Earth 
would be hell ! There is forgiveness, that there 
may be pity, reverence, love, obedience. God 
should be feared — feared in every proper sense — 
because there is forgiveness with him. But there is 
forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 

God Revealed. 

Forgiveness, that thou mayest be feared — feared, 
because the plan of redemption reveals to us the 
greatness and glory of the divine character. God is 
infinite in wisdom, or he could never have devised 
such a plan. Well is Jesus Christ called the wisdom 
of God ; the plan of salvation through him is a won- 
derful display of divine wisdom. This scheme ori- 
ginated with one who is all-wise. It is the offspring 
of Jehovah's counsels. Here is wisdom. And God 
is infinite in goodness and mercy, or he would never 
have devised such a plan. What love is here! •what 
pity ! what mercy ! what goodness ! And see what 
justice is here displayed also ! See how Christ suf- 

8 ^ 



90 OUR PASSOVER. 

fered that man might be forgiven ! If herein is love, 
so herein is justice too ! Had not God been just, he 
would not have devised such a plan for the pardon 
of man and the honour of his throne — his throne hon- 
oured and his law maintained, while man is forgiven ! 
And had he not been infinite in power and resources 
— able to control all things — he could not have 
executed the plan. Earth and hell conspired against 
its execution ; and how many things were necessary 
to bring about its accomplishment! How many 
things must meet, or be overruled and directed, to 
secure the accomplishment of the divine purposes in 
the death of Christ by the voluntary agency of sin- 
ful men ! Yet all this was accomplished, just when, 
and where, and how, God has determined and the 
prophets declared. In the conception and comple- 
tion of the plan of redemption, what a wonderful 
display is made of the divine perfections! What 
glory is here seen to invest the character of God ! 
What a revelation is here made of him ! "This is the 
Being with whom there is forgiveness; this is the 
way in which he has rendered it possible for him to 
forgive; this plan acquaints us more perfectly with 
the fearful as well as the lovely perfections of his 
character ; and because of this revelation thus made of 
God — because of this clearer view which the plan of 
redemption gives of the divine attributes — his name 
should be feared — be regarded with reverence, vene- 
ration, awe, gratitude and love. There is forgive- 
ness with him, that he may be feared. This plan of 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 91 

mercy has been devised and executed that man may 
be forgiven, and that, by the brilliant displays it 
should make of the perfections of God, all men might 
be constrained to fear his great arid holy name- 
that men may know God, and knowing, fear, love, 
and serve him. The glory of God is seen in the 
face of Jesus Christ, in the way of salvation through 
him. It reveals God to us ; and reveals him that we 
may fear him. The fear of the Lord is the begin- 
ning of wisdom. • His fear is piety. 

Reverential Fear. 

• 

That thou mayest be feared — feared with reveren- 
tial fear. He is glorious in holiness, fearful in 
praises, doing wonders. We should approach him 
with holy awe. We should reverence his holy name 
because he forgives, and fear to offend him; so fear 
as to adore, so reverence as to love and obey. 

Filial Fear. 

That thou mayest be feared — feared with filial 
fear. When we are forgiven, we become his chil- 
dren; we are adopted into his family; we become 
the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. 
Hence we should fear him as our Father ; we should 
have the fear of children; fear that constrains to 
love and obey ; fear that keeps us near his feet ; fear 
that flies from temptation, and gives us the victory 
over sin. A right view of the plan of salvation 
through Jesus Christ, and a cordial embracing of 



92 OUR PASSOVER. 

that plan and of Christ by faith, will beget this fear 
within us, and bring us wholly in subjection to the 
divine will and requirements. 

Fear of Wrath. 

That thou mayest be feared — feared because of 
the manner in which he forgives. He forgives 
through Christ. And that he might forgive, Christ 
died. Now, if he spared not his own Son, but de- 
livered him up to an ignominious death, rather than 
forgive the sinner without a satisfaction to his jus- 
tice, will, he spare the sinner who refuses to embrace 
Jesus Christ, and avail himself of the forgiveness of 
sins through him ? Most surely he will not. There 
is danger. There is wrath to come ! The impeni- 
tent and unbelieving sinner, therefore, has reason to 
fear; he has reason to fear coming wrath. Look on 
the agonies of Christ ; see there the justice of God, 
and fear and tremble ! The Lord Jesus shall be re- 
vealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in 
flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know 
not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord 
Jesus Christ ; who shall be punished with everlasting 
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from 
the glory of his power ? 2 Thess. i. 7-9. 

Fear a Motive. 

There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be 
feared — -so feared as to avail ourselves of the way of 
forgiveness provided for us and offered to us. We are 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 93 

guilty, by nature the children of wrath ; the law of 
God condemns us ; we are exposed to its curse ; in 
danger of perishing. The sufferings of Jesus teach 
us that we can expect no mercy out of Christ. If 
Jesus Christ is not made to us the end of the law for 
righteousness, we must ourselves endure the curse — 
the wrath of God for ever. It is a fearful thing to 
fall into the hands of the living God. From this 
fearful thing we should escape. We should flee 
from the wrath to come. .We should so fear God, 
the sin-avenger, as to seek his forgiveness in the 
name and for the sake of Christ — forgiveness through 
atoning blood. If hope will not dra^us to the.cross, 
fear should drive us there. It should operate as a 
motive to seek the salvation of our souls — a motive 
to seek forgiveness. 

Fear of Delay, 

That thou mayest be feared — feared, lest the day 
of hope and mercy pass for ever, and leave us in our 
sins, unpardoned, without God, and without hope in 
the world. To die unforgiven is to perish. Though 
there is forgiveness with God, there is a point beyond 
which his forbearance does not extend. 

u For goodness knows the appointed bound, 
And turns to vengeance there." 

Now there is forgiveness. Now pardon may be 
secured ; we should fear lest we neglect to apply 
for it till it is too late. Let the application be made 



94 OUR PASSOVER. 

without delay, that you may receive the remission 
of sins. Now is the accepted time ; now is the day 
of salvation. To-morrow it may be too late ! 

Fear and Obedience, 

That thou mayest be feared — feared, so as to obey 
him and live to his glory. The remembrance of the 
price of our redemption and of what God has done 
for us, should constrain us to live, not to ourselves, 
but to the glory of God. Ye are not your own ; ye 
are bought with a price. Pass the time of your 
sojourning here in fear ; forasmuch as ye know that 
ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as 
silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received 
by tradition from your fathers ; but with the precious 
blood of Christ, as 'of a lamb without blemish and 
without spot. God is to be reverenced and served 
with filial affection ; and to this we should be con- 
strained by what he has done for us. If we are for- 
given, we must live to him who has forgiven us. We 
must so fear as to obey. 

Fear our tvhole Duty, 

Forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 
Forgiveness ; then there is hope, and then there may 
be love, gratitude, service, worship. If there were 
no hope of forgiveness, there could be no escape 
from despair ; and in their desperation, men would 
have no fear of God before their eyes. Of course, 
there could be no pity in the world. ' Man would 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 95 

have duties, but his duties would not be done ; he 
would be under obligations, but obligations would be 
disregarded. The hope of forgiveness through 
Jesus Christ, therefore, is the basis of all that is 
morally excellent among men. It is the mainspring 
of human virtue— the light that gilds our path as 
we journey toward heaven ; it casts its genial rays 
over this dark and benighted world, and illuminates 
the pathway of man as he journeys to the tomb. 
It is the foster-parent of holy love. And now, that 
there is forgiveness with God, man may hope, and 
God may be loved as well as feared ; yea, he may 
be loved because feared, for this fear includes love. 
It is the whole of piety — our whole duty. That 
fear which is the offspring of the hope of pardon, is 
the bosom companion of love to God and man. We 
love him whom we fear ; we worship and adore him ; 
we delight in serving and pleasing him ; we live to 
his glory. Having our sins forgiven, and being re- 
conciled to God through Jesus Christ, we serve him 
with holy fear and ardent love and constant zeal. 
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter : 
Fear God, and keep his commandments : for this is 
the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every 
work into judgment, with every secret thing, 
whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Eccl. xii. 
1, 13, 14. 

JLdoration* 

Let saints adore I There is a way of pardon ; a 
way which places the divine perfections in the clear- 



96 OUR PASSOVER. 

est light, brings a rich revenue of praise and glory to 
God, while it teaches man his insignificance, his worth- 
lessness,* his vileness, and his helplessness ; a way 
which glorifies God and abases man — honours the law 
while it saves the transgressor. In this way Christians 
have been led. They have felt their sinfulness, their 
corruption, vileness and exposure; they have said 
with the Psalmist when overwhelmed with conviction, 
shame and confusion, If thou, Lord, shouldest mark 
iniquities, Lord, who shall stand ? They have felt 
themselves guilty, vile, undone, ruined, and lost; 
and they then inquired what they must do, how they 
could be delivered from sin and wrath, and have 
peace with God. Alarmed, despairing, they were 
pointed to the Lamb of God, the door of hope was 
opened, they saw in the cross of Christ that there 
is forgiveness with God; they believed and were 
forgiven. A new song was put into their mouths, 
even praise to our God ; and now they sing redeem- 
ing love. Let them adore Him who devised the plan 
of redemption ; let them adore him who died to re- 
deem them ; let them adore that grace which took 
their feet out of the horrible pit and miry clay ;' and 
while they adore, let them consecrate themselves 
anew to the service of God, and do w^hat they can to 
communicate to others the glad tidings of salvation. 
Speedily may all hear of Jesus ; speedily may all 
hear of forgiveness in his name ! What book reveals 
the way of life ? To what book is the Christian in- 
debted for his immortal hopes ? The Bible. And 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 97 

•does he deserve tlie name of Christian who does not 
exert himself to give the Bible to the destitute, to 
give the Bible to the world ? Go ye into all the 
world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He 
that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved ; but 
he that believeth not, shall be damned. Mark xvi. 
15, 16. 

Fear and Tremble, 

While saints adore, let sinners fear and tremble. 
There is forgiveness with God, that he may be feared 
— that man may have pity toward him and live in 
his fear — and if they refuse, they should tremble 
at his wrath. The sinner should fear and tremble 
for the reasons which have been named, and for 
others. Reader — if yet in your sins — you should 
fear and tremble because you have lived so long 
without securing the forgiveness of your sins. You 
are a sinner. You need forgiveness. You can 
never stand acquitted before God on the ground of 
merit. You can stand only in Christ. He is offered 
to you freely. You are invited to come to him. 
Long and often have you been invited; and as long 
and often have you refused. You would not come ; 
and still you will not! The Spirit has striven, 
but you have resisted ; and still you resist ! You 
are yet in your sins ; yet without hope ! And the 
fact that you have lived so long in the midst of 
gospel light, so long under religious appliances, so. 
long in the neglect of duty, while conscience has > 
admonished you as it seems in vain; lived so long 

9 



98 OUR PASSOVER. 

rejecting Christ and grieving the Spirit, should 
alarm you, and cause you to fear and tremble! 
Danger is near! Death is coming! You have 
treasured up a vast amount of guilt, and you are 
constantly provoking God to leave you for ever to 
hardness of heart and blindness of mind — leave you 
to live and die in your sins ! And you should fear 
and tremble because God is just. He will one»day 
pour his fury upon you unless you avail yourself of 
that salvation which Jesus Christ has purchased 
with his blood. He will not spare the impenitent 
and unbelieving. The wicked shall be turned into 
hell. sinner, fear, and tremble, and repent ! 

Universalis m, 

Universalism is false. There is forgiveness with 
God, that he may be feared. They who fear not 
God are not forgiven ; and they who are not for- 
given cannot be saved. Salvation begins here on 
earth in the forgiveness of sins ; and where forgiveness 
is not, as it is not where there is no fear of God, 
there sin remains, there wrath remains, and there 
must be eternal death, everlasting punishment. All 
are not saved, for all are not forgiven; and so 
universalism cannot be true. It is a fatal delusion, 
a doctrine of the devil. Shun it as the way to 
death ! 

SeeJc Forgiveness, 

Then seek the forgiveness of sins through Jesus 
Christ. Through him there is forgiveness with 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 99 

God. He caine into the world to save sinners, even 
the chief of sinners. He died to save. He arose 
and ascended. He lives. He is able to save to 
the uttermost. He that cometh shall in no wise be 
cast out. Why not come? The object of our 
ministry and of these pages is to persuade men to 
come to Christ, to persuade them to seek forgive- 
ness, to persuade them to be saved. One would 
think it no difficult matter to persuade men to at- 
tend to these things. But, alas, they are disposed 
to attend to anything and everything else but these. 
They will risk health and life to acquire wealth; 
risk health, and life, and property, to indulge their 
carnal propensities and enjoy pleasure; but they can 
scarcely be persuaded to give a passing thought to 
the soul, to the atoning sacrifice of Christ, to heaven 
and hell ! They have Moses and the prophets, 
Christ and the evangelists, the written word and 
the living preacher, the printed page and the voice 
of friendship, the conviction of conscience and the 
strivings of the Spirit; and yet they will not believe ! 
They would not be persuaded though one should 
rise from the dead ! One has risen, Christ Jesus, 
and ascended; and yet they believe not! They will 
live on in their sins till death overtakes them, and 
they in hell lift up their eyes in torment ! In the 
latter day ye shall consider it perfectly! How 
much better to consider now, and turn and live ! . 
Thus saith the Lord, consider your ways ! Reader, 
pause, and consider your ways! FJee to Christ! 



100 OUR PASSOVER. 

Begin at once to seek the forgiveness of your 
sins ! 



• Hymns* 

" Lord, I am vile, conceived in sin, 
And born unholy and unclean ; 
Sprung from the man whose guilty fall 
Corrupts the race, and taints us all. 
Behold, I fall before thy face ; 
My only refuge is thy grace : 
No outward forms can make me clean ; 
The leprosy lies deep within. 
No bleeding bird, nor bleeding beast, 
Nor hyssop-branch, nor sprinkling priest, 
Nor running brook, nor flood, nor sea, 
Can wash the dismal stain away. 
Jesus, my God, thy blood alone 
Hath power sufficient to atone; 
Thy blood can make me white as snowp 
No Jewish types could cleanse me so." 



" God of mercy, hear my call, 
My load of guilt remove ; 
Break down this separating wall, 
That bars me from thy love. 

" No blood of goats nor heifers slain, 
For sin could e'er atone ; 
The death of Christ shall still remain 
Sufficient and alone. 

" A soul oppressed with sin's desert 
My God will ne'er despise; 
An humble groan, a broken heart, 
Is our best sacrifice." 



FORGIVENESS WITH GOD. 101 

" Great God, should thy severer eye, 
And thine impartial hand, 
Mark and revenge iniquity, 
No mortal flesh could stand. 

" But there are pardons with my God, 
For crimes of high degree ; 
Thy Son hath bought them with his blood, 
To draw us near to thee. 

" I wait for thy salvation, Lord, 
With strong desires I wait ; 
My soul, invited by thy word, 
Stands watching at thy gate." 



" From deep distress and troubled thoughts, 
To thee, my God, I raised my cries ; 
If thou severely mark our faults, 
No flesh can stand before thine eyes. 

" But thou hast built thy throne of grace, 
Free to dispense thy pardons there, 
That sinners may approach thy face, 
And hope, and loye, as well as fear/' 



102 OUR. PASSOVER. 



•IV. 

WHY JEEAJLT YE? 

How long halt ye between two opinions ? — 1 Kings xviii. 21. 

The Question. 

Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. The 
great things of the law are fulfilled in him. Through 
him there is forgiveness with God. In his name 
salvation is offered to us. We are invited to come 
to him for life. We are urged to flee from the wrath 
to come. Life and death are set before us ; and it 
may be asked, Why halt ye ? Why hesitate ? How 
long halt ye between two opinions ? 1 Kings xviii. 21. 

These words, together with the history connected 
with them, have often been the theme of remark. 
On- the history I need not offer any comments ; you 
may read it for yourself. The question here pro- 
posed should come home to your heart. It is ad- 
dressed to you; and it suggests for your serious 
consideration the unreasonableness and danger of 
indecision in religion. The prophet addresses the 
people as undecided and hesitating, and so you are 
addressed. And Elijah came unto all the people, 
and said, How long halt ye between two opinions ? 



WHY HALT YE? 103 

Be decided. If the Lord be God, follow him : but 
if Baal, then follow him. Why hesitate and waver ? 
Your indecision is unreasonable and dangerous. 
Why longer indulge in it, and how long? How 
long halt ye between two opinions? 

*The same question may now with propriety be 
put. There are multitudes who seem undecided on 
the subject of greatest moment. They always in- 
tend to become pious ; they never intend to delay 
religion till it is too late ; they design not to defer 
repentance till death comes ; but they are not ready 
to decide yet ; they are not ready to take up the 
subject now ; they are not at ease, because undecided, 
and they feel unsafe. Conscience troubles them, 
because they are neglecting duty, and they have 
their fears of coming wrath. At times they are 
almost persuaded to become Christians ; they know 
they ought to come to Christ, but they come not. 
To such I say, Why halt ye ? How long halt ye 
between two opinions ? Your indecision is unreason- 
able and dangerous. 

Indecision is Unreasonable, 

Decision of' character is of priceless value. It is 
important at all times. Especially is it important 
in all great matters to be decided ; how unspeakably 
important, then, in this ! Indecision is unreasonable 
in proportion to the vastness of the interests at stake. 
Here everything is at stake; eternal bliss or woe 
depends upon our being decided ! How unreasonable 



104 OUR PASSOVER. 

then to halt and hesitate — to halt and hesitate where 
eternal consequences are pending ! This will ap- 
pear more clearly from what follows, for there are 
many reasons why indecision is unreasonable. Then 
why halt ye ? 

Decision not Difficult. 

Indecision in religion is unreasonable because the 
case is not a difficult one to decide. If the matter 
were a very difficult one, there could be no great 
unreasonableness in halting, at least for a time, 
between the two opinions. There would be no un- 
reasonableness in halting unless it were continued 
for a longer period than might be requisite for an 
intelligent investigation and decision. But there is 
no very great difficulty here ; the matter is perfectly 
plain ; a decision is easy. The objects or ultimate 
ends presented by the two opinions, religion and 
irreligion, are so diverse in their nature, that the 
mind need not hesitate a moment between them. 
On the one side is Christ, on the other Satan ; on 
the one side is heaven, on the other hell ; here is 
happiness, there is misery ; here is honour, there is 
infamy. How long need you halt between bliss and 
woe ? How long between heaven and hell ? or be- 
tween Christ and the Devil? When the opinions, 
or the objects which they present to your mind, are 
so different, where is the need of hesitation ? In a 
case so plain, how unreasonable is indecision ? Why 
halt ye ? 



WHY HALT YE? 105 



Sufficient Evidence, 

Indecision is unreasonable because there is suffi- 
cient evidence to command assent. If there were 
not much evidence in favour of Christianity and a life 
conformed to it, or if the evidence for and against 
were pretty equally balanced, there might be some 
pretence for halting and delay. But there is abund- 
ance of evidence, and this evidence is almost entirely 
all on one side. There is so much more evidence for 
Christianity than against it, so much more in favour 
of a life of piety than there is in favour of a life of 
irreligion, that there is no excuse for hesitation. 
Indeed so overwhelming is the evidence in favour of 
religion, that the irreligious themselves acknowledge 
its worth; and they intend some day to become 
themselves the followers of Christ. But the time is 
not yet come. They yet are halting. In view of 
the evidence in the case, their course is unreasonable. 
It is without excuse ! Examine this evidence : look 
at the volumes which have been written in defence of 
Christianity, at the devoted lives and triumphant 
deaths of the Lord's true-hearted people; and tell 
me if indecision is not unreasonable ! Go, reader, 
stand by the grave of some departed saint — of 
Hannah Hobbie for instance — and tell me if there be 
not reality and divinity in religion. Her patience 
in suffering, her triumph in death, her joy and peace, 
are a demonstration of the truth of Christianity, and 
they show the unreasonableness of halting between 



106 OUR PASSOVER. 

two opinions. In the words of another, written by 
her grave, 

" Were mine whate'er my wishes claim, 
I'd ask no higher boon than this — 

Like her's, untarnished be my fame, 
Like her's, enraptured be my bliss." 

Sufficient Inducements. 

Indecision is unreasonable because there are suffi- 
cient inducements to be decided. There are many 
motives which should at once decide us in favour of 
Christ and his cause, of God, holiness, and heaven. 
Did we look no farther than our own enjoyment in 
this world, we should hesitate no longer. How in- 
compatible is a state of suspense with real enjoyment ! 
Yet while halting between two opinions, we are in a 
state of suspense. No wonder, therefore, that there 
is no peace to the wicked. If you would be at 
peace, choose whom you will serve ! Then look into 
eternity, a heaven of bliss, a hell of woe, and hear 
the voice of mercy calling you to the cross, and 
what farther, or weightier, inducements can you have 
to come to a decision on this most momentous of all 
subjects ? With such inducements to decide, with 
such motives urging to a proper choice, is not inde- 
cision unreasonable? Is it not unwise? I speak 
as to wise men : judge ye what I say. How long 
halt ye between two opinions ? And why halt ye ? 

God Mequires us to Decide, 

Indecision is unreasonable because God requires us 



WHY HALT YE? 107 

to be decided. He says by the prophet, How long 
halt ye ? In a case so plain, why hesitate ? You 
know what is said to the angel of the church of 
Laodicea, Thou art neither cold nor hot ; I will spue 
thee out of my mouth. Thou sayest, I am rich ; I 
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that 
thou mayest be rich. Rev. iii. 14—22. Will you re- 
gard the counsel of God ? He requires you to be 
decided in the great concerns of the soul — decided 
in regard to his service. Has he not a right to 
command? Is it not your duty to obey? Can you 
hope to prevail against God? Is it not written, 
Woe to him that striveth with his Maker ? Will you 
strive with him ? Have you an arm like God ? Can 
you thunder with a voice like him ? Presumptuous 
man ! Will you oppose your Maker ? When God 
requires you to be decided, is not your indecision 
unreasonable and wicked ? 

Never Easier to Decide, 

Indecision is unreasonable, because it will neve 1 ?, 
at any future period, be easier to decide than it is at 
present. There is no reasonable ground of hope 
that any difficulties which may now be in the way, 
will ever be less. On the contrary, they will prob- 
ably increase, with time, in number and magnitude. 
The hope that it will be easier to decide at some 
future day, than it is now, and become pious, is vain, 
delusive, and ruinous. It is a hope big with disap- 
pointment and despair. How unreasonable, then, 



108 OUR PASSOVER. 

to delay ! It is as easy now to decide, as it ever 
will be. The work of repentance is as easy now, 
faith is as easy, reformation is as easy, and it is 
as easy to begin a life of prayer and devotion— a life 
of holy living and benevolent doing. Then why 
hesitate, and linger, and delay ? How long halt ye 
between two opinions ? Why halt ye ? 

JLoss of Time, 

Indecision is unreasonable because it occasions a 
great loss of time. Time is precious ; and in regard 
to the salvation of the soul, not a moment should 
be lost. By a hesitating and undecided manner in 
the pursuit of an object, we often lose more time 
than is necessary for its accomplishment. In worldly 
matters you know the importance of being decided 
as to what is to be done next. Then no time is lost 
in thinking what should be done, and halting and 
hesitating between this business and that. So in 
regard to religion. It is important to have the mind 
made up, and made up right. By a contrary course, 
halting between two opinions, more time is taken 
than is requisite for repenting and turning to God. 
All this time, as to the great end for which time is 
given, is lost. It is lost to usefulness, lost to en- 
joyment, and so far from being spent to the glory 
of God, it is spent in rebellion against him. All the 
time that you are halting and hesitating and being 
undecided, convinced that you ought to become 
pious, but not becoming so, you might be, and you 



WHY HALT YE? 109 

should be, serving God and doing good to man. 
But all thi$ time, as to any good purpose, is lost; 
instead of doing good, you are doing evil ; and in 
view of this great loss of time, I say your indecision 
is unreasonable. It would be thought so in worldly 
matters. Were you to manage your temporal con- 
cerns as you do your spiritual, not only should your 
poverty come as one that travelleth, and your want 
as an armed man, but you would be set down as a 
maniac, your property would be taken from you, 
and guardians appointed for the benefit of your 
children. As to the conduct of men in spiritual 
matters, there is truth in the scripture which says, 
The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and 
madness is in their heart while they live, and after 
that they go to the dead. Eccl. ix. 3. Their inde- 
cision is so unreasonable that it is madness ! Reader, 
are you mad ? Why halt ye ? 

Sacrifice of Enjoyment. 

Indecision is unreasonable because it is a great 
sacrifice of enjoyment. Indecision and suspense 
are incompatible with true happiness. While you 
are halting between two opinions you cannot be 
happy. If you would make happiness your own, 
you must come to the Lord Jesus Christ and serve 
him with all your hearts His service is freedom; 
his service is joy. While staying away from Christ, 
you rob yourself of the enjoyment which religion 
gives, and which accompanies a life of well-doing, 
10 



110 OUR PASSOVER. 

and in addition to this robbery, you make yourself 
an heir of all the misery which a state of suspense 
and a life of evil-doing can bequeath. You lose 
all the happiness "which religion affords; you 
gain all the wretchedness which suspense begets, 
and all the sorrow inseparable from a life of sin. 
Your indecision, therefore, is at a great sacrifice of 
enjoyment; and in view of that %acrifice your inde- 
cision is unreasonable. You are not required to 
make that sacrifice. Did God require you to make 
as great a sacrifice of enjoyment as you are making, 
you would think it a great thing, and be ready to 
call him a hard master. But now you can make it 
in the service of Satan and not complain. God re- 
quires you to do that which is for your happiness, 
your present and eternal good, as well as for his 
glory. But you will not comply. You pursue a 
course inseparable from disappointment, vexation, 
and misery ; you halt and hesitate between life and 
death, heaven and hell; and, 

" Like the rough, sea, that cannot rest, 
You live devoid of peace — * 
A thousand stings within your breast, 
Deprive your soul of ease/' 

Unhappy man, how unreasonable your case! How 
miserable! What a sacrifice of enjoyment! 

a* 

Sacrifice of Usefulness, 

Your indecision is unreasonable, further, because 
it is at a great sacrifice of usefulness. It is not al- 



, WHY HALT YE? Ill 

ways right to seek our own enjoyment. There may 
be inglorious ease, and enjoyment which is incom- 
patible with duty. The cross is to be borne even 
though wearisome to the flesh. Duty must be done 
however trying. It is always right to aim at use- 
fulness. To be useful, we must be pious ; to be use- 
ful, we must be Jholy ; and to be extensively and 
permanently useful in the highest degree, we must 
be obedient to God and decided in our obedience, 
prompt and decided in duty. There must be no 
half way work about it. Unstable as water, thou 
shalt not excel, said the dying Jacob to Reuben, 
his first-born. Decision of character is essential to 
the accomplishment of great purposes. If you 
would do good, you must possess firmness and sta- 
bility. You must be on the right side of every good 
cause, and take a decided stand in its favour, not 
fearing a little trouble, nor a little -expense, but de- 
termined to surmount difficulties and to make the 
world feel your influence. But while halting be- 
tween two opinions, where are you? Not in the 
right place, not on the right side, and evidently not 
in a commanding position for being useful. No ; 
all your influence goes on the side of impiety. You 
are doing harm instead of good! Perishing, and 
leading others with you to ruin ! Should you come 
out on the Lord's side, you might be useful; you 
might lead others after you to the cross ; you might 
save souls from death; you might deck your crown 
of eternal rejoicing with redeemed souls as stars and 






112 OUR PASSOVER. 

gems, brilliant for ever ! It is at this sacrifice of 
usefulness that you remain undecided ; and your in- 
decision is unreasonable — unreasonable and without 
excuse ! 

Hie Interests at Stake, 

Unreasonable! And look at the interests at 
stake : the soul and its welfare for time and eternity 
— your .everlasting well-being. And the great ques- 
tion is to be decided in the few fleeting moments of 
this probationary state; and to be decided once for 
all; and how long will you, how long can you hesi- 
tate? How long halt between two opinions? Is 
your indecision reasonable? Do you not feel it to 
be unreasonable? And yet you are, or claim to be, 
a reasonable creature ! God has endowed you with 
rational faculties ; then why act unreasonably ? Why 
pursue a course which is not only unreasonable, but 
dangerous? For your indecision is dangerous. 

It Occasions Delay, 

Indecision is dangerous because it occasions delay, 
and delay is always dangerous. It increases the 
difficulties in your way in number and magnitude. 
It strengthens the cords of your sins. It confirms 
your evil habits. It augments all the evil influences 
which bind you to earth, and keep you from the 
cross of Christ. It diminishes the probability of 
your ever coming to a right decision, and taking 
that course which will eventuate in your future 
felicity. It resists and grieves the Holy Ghost, 



WHY HALT YE ? 113 

stirs the conscience, blunts the sensibilities, and 
hardens the heart. Thus your indecision increases 
the difficulties in the way of your salvation. Your 
indecision is dangerous. 

Abuse of Privileges, 

Indecision is dangerous because it is an abuse of 
your privileges. God gave you your privileges ; but 
he gave them not to be abused; he gave them to be 
improved. Not to improve is to abuse them. Is 
halting between two opinions — are hesitation and de- 
lay — an improvement of your privileges ? Is it not 
evidently an abuse of them ? And thou, Capernaum, 
which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought 
down to hell; for if the mighty works which have 
been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would 
have remained until this day. But I say unto you, 
that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom 
in the day of judgment, than for thee ! And when 
he was come near to Jerusalem, he beheld the city 
and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even 
thou, in this thy day, the things which belong unto 
thy peace ! But now they are hid from thine eyes ! 
Reader, your abused privileges may be taken away ! 
They may not continue always. God may speedily 
remove them ! And then you may sigh in vain over 
your lost opportunities, and wish, but idly wish, for 
their return. It is dangerous to trifle with the 
blessings and privileges of the gospel. Your inde- 
cision is dangerous. Why halt ye? 
10 * 



114 OUR PASSOVER. , 

Health may fail. 

It is dangerous because your health may fail. All 
our vigour should be given to God. The concerns 
of the soul demand the energies of a sound mind 
and a sound body. But how precarious is health ! 
In how short a time may it be taken away! Lost, 
never more to be recovered ! And when under the 
influence of disease, and racked with pain, or faint 
and languid, you will feel the necessity of the sup- 
ports of religion; and you will find that such cir- 
cumstances are not the most favourable for first 
turning the attention to this momentous concern. 
How much better to come to Christ while health is 
-granted us, that we may be prepared for sickness 
when it comes, or for sudden death, should it be ap- 
pointed unto us! Sickness may eome, trials may 
come, death may come! It is wise to be ready! 
How long halt ye between two opinions ? 

tteason may fail. 

Indecision is dangerous because reason may fail 
us. Perhaps you never intend to be deranged! 
You do not contemplate it even as a possibility. 
But who is it that maintains the balance in the intel- 
lectual machinery of your soul? Is it not that 
Being whose will you disregard ? And can he not, 
in a moment, destroy that balance, and leave you to 
wander abroad a raving maniac, or to settle down 
in cheerless idiocy? Can you be deaf to the calls 



WHY HALT YE? 115 

and warnings of that Being in whose hand your 
breath is, and on whose mercy you depend, for the 
healthful exercise of those mental capacities which 
elevate you above the beasts that perish ? Is it wise 
to do so ? Is it safe ? Ah, while blest with reason, 
improve it in seeking the salvation of your soul. 
Banish your hesitancy; decide for God and heaven i 
Your reason may fail ! Your indecision is dangerous. 

JAfe may end. 

It is dangerous because life may terminate before 
you decide. How long halt ye? You may halt 
too long — till death comes ; and then it is too late ! 
Your destiny then is sealed for ever ! Frequently 
providences speak loudly of the shortness and un- 
certainty of life, and the importance of being ready, 
always ready. And yet you hesitate. Are you 
willing to die as you are? I know you are not. 
Then why are you willing to live as you are ? You 
can live so but a little while longer, before death 
will overtake you. Death may come soon; it maj 
come suddenly; how dangerous, then, to be unde 
cided and unprepared ! Why halt ye ? 

TJie Spirit may Depart. 

It is dangerous, because although life may be 
continued, yet the Spirit of God may leave you for 
ever. My Spirit, saith God, shall not always strive 
with man. The Spirit may be grieved away, and 
take his everlasting flight. You have long and often 



L16 OUR PASSOVER. 

grieved and resisted the Holy Ghost. He has con- 
vinced you of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, 
pointed to the corning wrath, and urged you from 
that wrath to flee. You have not yielded to his in- 
fluences. He has called, but you have refused. 
Still you are refusing; still fighting against the 
Spirit of God. Remember, you may resist the 
Spirit once too often. He may leave you to hard- 
ness q£ heart and blindness of mind ! Your present 
position is full of peril. Your indecision exposes 
you to the awful danger of being left for ever by the 
Spirit of God. And if he leaves you, you are lost! 
Evermore undone ! Why halt ye ? 

Hardening Influence. 

Indecision is dangerous because of its hardening 
influence. It tends to render one more insensible 
of his guilt and danger, more indifferent to the claims 
of God, more thoughtless about eternity, more care- 
less about his soul. The longer, therefore, you halt 
between two opinions', the longer you are likely to 
halt and hesitate ; the longer you remain undecided, 
the longer you are likely so to remain. Just in pro- 
portion to the length of time one has continued un- 
decided, just in that proportion is the probability 
that he will always continue undecided, and perish 
in his sins for ever. Beware of indecision ; it has a 
hardening influence on the heart, increases the diffi- 
culty of the soul's salvation, and augments the dan- 
ger of its endless perdition ! Why halt ye ? 



WHY . HALT YE ? 117 



Huinous Influence. 

Indecision is dangerous because of its ruinous in- 
fluence on others. It has a hardening influence on 
the individual himself, and through him it has a dan- 
gerous influence on others. Your indecision may- 
cause others to be undecided ; and thus while you 
are ruining yourself, you are also bearing others 
with you down to the gulf of perdition. One coward, 
fleeing in the hour of conflict, may spread panic and 
confusion through a whole battalion. You halt be- 
tween two opinions ; others follow your example ; 
your influence is contagious and ruinous. You 
neither enter the kingdom of heaven yourself, nor 
permit others to enter. Remember, you are re- 
sponsible for the souls which perish through y,our 
influence ! How dangerous, then, your indecision, 
when it not only ruins your own soul, but plunges 
others also into eternal darkness and despair ! It is 
enough to ruin yourself, quite enough ; but how sad 
when you perish not alone in your iniquity ! Why 
halt ye ? 

TJie Consequences. 

And look into the eternal world ! See the conse- 
quences to yourself and to others of living and dying 
in a state of suspense, almost a Christian it may be, 
yet halting between two opinions. Almost per- 
suaded, yet undecided ! I will not attempt to de- 
scribe the consequences. For ever undescribed, let 
them remain. Let imagination picture them to the 



118 OUR PASSOVER. 

soul; no, imagination can never reach them; let 
them remain as the word of God has left them : the 
smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever ! 
Hell with all its horrors, and those eternal, is the 
doom of those who die halting between two opinions 
— invited to Christ, on the point of turning to him, 
yet never coming. Will you thus live and die : 
Why halt ye ? Why, say, reader, 

"Why will you in the crooked ways 
Of^sin and folly go? 
In pain you travel all your days, 
To reap immortal woe. 

Unreasonable and Dangerous, 

In view of the preceding considerations, I ask, is 
not indecision in religion most unreasonable and 
dangerous? Reader, I put this question to your 
own conscience ; and I know the answer which your 
conscience gives. It says, Indecision is most un- 
reasonable, and dangerous, and wicked. This your 
conscience says, and you cannot deny it. And 
when your conscience says this, dear reader, it con- 
demns yourself. It testifies against your indecision ; 
it says, How long halt between two opinions ? As 
yet you have lived without God and without hope. 
Life and death have been placed before you; the 
Spirit has striven ; the Saviour has invited ; you 
have been urged and entreated to choose the one 
thing needful, the good part which can never be 
taken away ; but you have resisted all the influences 



WHY HALT YE? 119 

which have been employed to draw you to Christ, 
and you are now to-day in the gall of bitterness, in 
the bonds of iniquity, undecided, wavering, halting 
between two opinions. And I know, and you know, 
and God knows, that your position is unreasonable 
and dangerous. You ought at once to abandon that 
position, and flee to Jesus Christ, the ark of safety. 
Will you do it ? or, will you continue where you are, 
and perish ? Will you turn and live ? or, refuse and 
die? 

Decision Wise and Important, 

From what has been said we see the wisdom, rea- 
sonableness and importance of decision in religion. 
If indecision is unwise, unreasonable, and dangerous, 
decision must be wise, reasonable, and important. 
Thus we know it to be. It is a saving of time, the 
right improvement of time, essential to enjoyment, a 
help to usefulness ; it enables us to improve our priv- 
ileges, to. secure a heavenly inheritance, and to 
ripen for eternal glory. The undecided man is ex- 
posed to a thousand temptations, and he has little or 
no strength to resist them. The one who is decided 
shuns a multitude of temptations to which others are 
exposed ; and when assailed by temptation, he has 
the armour of righteousness on the right hand and 
on the left, with which to resist and conquer. He 
is strong in the Lord. He is prepared to meet with 
~ difficulties and discouragements, and overcome them. 
Luther had decision ; and to his boldness and decis- 
ion, under God, is the world indebted for the 



120 OUR PASSOVER. 

glorious reformation. Had Luther been an Erasmus, 
popery might yet have held undisputed sway over 
Christendom. He kindled a fire which shall burn 
till the last trumpet shall awake the slumbering dead. 
Decision and boldness now may accomplish propor- 
tionate results. Let Christians be decided, especially 
the young; let them cling to the cross and follow 
Christ through evil and through good report — follow 
the Lamb whithersoever he leadeth them. . Our 
passover is slain ; let them keep the feast and regard 
all the great things of the law. Thus shall they re- 
sist temptation, thus overcome the world, thus glorify 
God and do good to men. 

How JLofig? 

And, my impenitent reader, let me ask you once 
again, How long halt you between two opinions ? 
How long will you resist the Holy Ghost ? How 
long refuse to listen to the reproofs of conscience 
and the convictions of your own judgment ? This 
question must be decided ! You will never come to 
Christ — never keep the paschal feast — never heed 
the great things of the law — unless you purpose in 
your heart, by the grace of God, so to do.. Why 
not form that purpose now? That purpose is not 
religion ; it is not a new heart, but it is a necessary 
step toward the kingdom of heaven. Let me beseech 
you to take that step now. Take it ! Resolve ! But 
rest not there. Yield your "heart to the renewing 
and sanctifying Spirit. Flee to Christ ! Go to 
Jesus, and embrace the cross. 



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